


Jump the Gun

by actualtrashking



Series: Girl on the Radio [3]
Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Angst is my cup of tea, Eventual Smut, F/F, Intersex Nicole Haught, Nicole Haught is literally the Worst cop, The Author Regrets Nothing, This is gonna get kinda angsty, Trans Female Character, You're Welcome, all those gross sex tags, but the sex is gonna be hot af, psa: have safe sex kids, remember this is what y'all asked for, which apparently always means REALLY SOON smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2018-07-26
Packaged: 2018-09-03 12:44:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 14
Words: 111,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8714452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/actualtrashking/pseuds/actualtrashking
Summary: Family is art in its imperfect, loving, human form.The direct sequel to Little Heartbeat





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> As stated in the summary this is a direct sequel to the second part in this series, Little Heartbeat. You actually have to read that in order to follow along with this fic as it picks up directly where Little Heartbeat left off. Technically you do not have to read the first part in the series, Reckless Behavior, but if you like kinky smut it could be loads of fun.
> 
> Also the rating will come into play in later chapters.
> 
> ...This time I mean it, later chapters.

“What the fuck am I going to do, Waves?” Wynonna asks, pocketing the pregnancy test without even looking at it.

Waverly thinks briefly that her sister probably doesn’t _need_ to look at it anymore. Wynonna has probably stared at that test so long the image of it is burned into her brain. She knows from experience.

“Okay, see, your whole not answering thing? Not exactly helping right now!” Wynonna barks, voice strained and panicked as she runs a hand through her hair and begins pacing all over again.

Waverly jumps a little, remembering she actually _does_ have to say something. If she's honest, she's surprised at Wynonna’s reaction- granted, she’s almost sure this can’t be the first time Wynonna has been faced with this scenario. But then Waverly remembers that this isn’t a _scare_ , this time. It’s actually happening, and Wynonna’s response makes a lot more sense.

Besides, Waverly’s honestly not even sure if Wynonna _has_ had a pregnancy scare, she's just basing that assumption on how Wynonna acted in high school- whenever Waverly saw her, that is.

Wynonna was mostly a ghost to Waverly when she was living with Gus and Curtis. Meanwhile, Wynonna was bounced from foster home to foster home, and of course Waverly knew that. The whole town knew it. There were whispers, and when those whispers got around to Wynonna, they became loud declarations of how much she didn’t give a fuck.

But this is different. This is _real_.

“I- um...we’ll- we’ll figure this out, Wynonna. We just-” Waverly is cut off by the sound of Warner screaming.

“Oh, great!” Wynonna huffs, pulling her hand from her hair and making a vague gesture towards the bedroom and Warner.

“I’ll be right back, okay? Don’t leave.” Waverly practically warns because honestly, Wynonna looks like she wants to bolt. Like, _out of the country_.

Waverly turns around, only to find a very tired Nicole holding a very hungry and unhappy Warner.

“Oh.” The small word just falls out of Waverly’s mouth. She hadn’t been expecting this, though she really should have.

Granted, her sister _did_ just drop a bomb on her in the form of a very unplanned pregnancy, so that only adds to her frazzled, sleep-deprived brain fog.

“I’m just gonna...” Nicole grumbles and trails off, voice hoarse with sleep as she heads to the kitchen, shuffling past them in a half-asleep daze, “Hey Wynonna.” She says in passing.

“Uh, hi?” Wynonna says, lilting up at the end, looking at Nicole and then glancing questioningly at Waverly. Upon Nicole’s departure, she sighs and runs a hand through her hair again. Waverly’s just glad she hasn’t gone back to the pacing. “Waves, what am I gonna do? I don’t know how we’re going to fix this flaming pile of-”

Before Wynonna can finish her sentence, Nicole comes back into the living room, the sound of her slippers grazing against the hardwood announcing her entrance before her words.

“Waverly?” Nicole croaks out, squinting against the dim light in the living room.

“Uh, yeah?” Waverly asks, not wanting to look at her wife at the moment in an act of self-preservation.

“Quick question. What the fuck is your sister doing here at- oh…” Nicole draws out her last word for a second, only to finish, “Four in the goddamn morning?!”

“She needed to talk, and-”

“And that couldn’t have waited til waking hours?” Nicole snaps before leaning over and looking at Wynonna, “Not that I don’t enjoy your company, Earp, but what the everloving fuck?”

Warner starts squirming in Nicole’s arms and screaming bloody murder and Waverly doesn’t have time to worry about her wife. Not right now. The more pressing matter is the unhappy infant in her arms.

“Okay, Sweetheart, I know, I know you’re hungry. Just give Mommy a second.” Waverly says, looking down at Warner. “Why didn’t you give him a bottle while you were in the kitchen?” Waverly asks, looking back up at Nicole.

“I was going to, but we don’t have any, apparently.” Nicole grumbles, trying to soothe Warner but failing before Waverly takes him from her.

“Shit, I thought we had more than enough. Okay, okay...” Waverly’s voice softens as she takes Warner and tries to calm him down, giving him her finger to suck on. It might not be what he wants, but at least it will keep the peace for a few seconds.

“Wynonna, do you mind if I…?” Waverly trails off, looking over at where her sister is standing.

“It’s your house, Waves.” Wynonna says with a shrug, not maintaining eye contact for anything.

“Okay, but no one has actually answered my question. What are you doing here, Wynonna?” Nicole says, trying to draw attention back to her earlier inquiry.

“Hey, how about we sit down and actually try to talk about this?” Waverly says, trying to diffuse the growing tension but ultimately feeling stupid for giving Wynonna some sort of out.

“Do I really have a choice?” Wynonna asks with a sigh.

“Not when it’s four in the morning, no.” Nicole grumbles.

Warner fusses in Waverly’s arms, drawing her attention back to him.

“I know, Sweetie, I know- sh, sh, sh,” Waverly coos, bouncing Warner slightly before walking over to the couch and sitting down. She doesn’t pay much attention as the other two join them on the couch; she is more preoccupied with filling her son’s needs at the moment and thankfully it doesn’t take too long to get them both situated.

Once Warner has latched on, Waverly sighs and finally looks up at her sister and wife on either side of her on the couch.

Waverly knows that Wynonna won't be sitting down for long, but for now, everything seems to still. Of course, she can’t do too much about the nervous energy in the room, but at least everyone is sitting. She counts that as an accomplishment- a win, even.

“Sooo...let's talk.” Waverly ventures.

“Okay, you wanna talk about this? Well, how about I ruined my life, for starters? No matter what I do. And by the way, the whole, ‘what the fuck do I even do’ thing? That’s kind of important.”

Waverly winces, at her sister's words but also because the infant attached to her boob right now is not being gentle.

“Wait, back up. What's even going on? How did you ‘ruin your life’?” Nicole asks.

Bless her heart she even used air quotes.

“Surprise, everyone!” Wynonna starts, voice sarcastic as she fishes the pregnancy test out of her jacket pocket, “Wynonna got herself knocked up!” Wynonna finishes, thrusting the pregnancy test in Nicole’s face

“Holy shit.” Nicole says, her eyes going wide as she reads the pregnancy test.

There’s a slight pause before Wynonna pockets the pregnancy test again and answers, whispering, “My sentiments exactly…”

“Do Doc and Dolls know?” Waverly asks, looking from Wynonna down at Warner.

There isn’t an immediate answer, and Waverly just sits it out, running a finger through Warner’s hair. At least someone here seems comfortable. But Wynonna still hasn’t answered, and that draws Waverly’s attention back to her sister.

“They don’t, do they?” Waverly asks, knowing the answer.

“No. I couldn’t...I couldn’t face them with this. Not when…” Wynonna trails off and breaks eye contact.

“It’ll be okay, Wynonna.” Waverly offers up, trying to comfort her sister.

It doesn’t exactly seem to be working, but she’s trying- at least Wynonna is looking at her again. And Waverly knows that having this conversation while breastfeeding isn’t exactly the best option, but it’s the only one they have until Warner is done.

“I’m not so sure.” Wynonna replies, looking at Waverly and then looking down at Warner before quickly looking away.

Waverly can't tell if the wall has suddenly become super interesting by the simple merit of Wynonna not wanting to stare at her chest, or if the sight of a baby right now is too much. It’s probably both.

Waverly just wants to do something to fix this, to give her sister some sort of solution she can hold on to, or at the very least, give her some solid ground to stand on so she can come to her own conclusions.

“What do you-” Waverly gets cut off by a fussing Warner. She looks down at him, only to pick him up and place him against her shoulder, rubbing his back to try to soothe him and ends up burping him, though he’s still fussing. She tries offering him her other breast, but he doesn’t take it. Now she’s worried he needs a diaper change which wouldn’t be a stretch. The only issue is, she doesn’t exactly want to leave Wynonna.

“Here, I’ll take him.” Nicole croaks out from beside Waverly.

“You sure?” Waverly asks, despite herself.

This was the out she wanted, but the moment it’s offered to her, she’s rethinking the entire thing. She doesn’t want to have to choose between this conversation and her son. But there’s also no way she could even fathom trying to have a conversation with her sister about her options regarding her very unplanned pregnancy while she changes a dirty diaper. That would just be cruel.

“Yeah, I got him.” Nicole says, standing up from the couch and taking Warner from Waverly, “You guys need to talk. And besides, if we need you, I know where to find you.”

Waverly smiles up at Nicole, who returns the smile, though very sleepily. She watches them go, Warner fussing and whining as they leave the room. Nicole bounces him against her shoulder and starts humming.

Waverly glances over at Wynonna, only to see her eyes following Nicole, too.

Waverly then looks back at Nicole and fights the urge to follow and make sure Warner is okay. But this most likely isn’t a dire situation, and Wynonna _does_ need her.

Unfortunately, Waverly’s worries aren’t exactly soothed when Nicole starts singing.

 _“_ _You know I know how_

_To make 'em stop and stare as I zone out_

_The club can't even handle me right now_

_Watchin' you watchin' me I go all out…”_

Nicole’s voice trails off as she walks down the hallway and back to the bedroom. Waverly knows she’s still singing, though.

Both sisters just sit there watching the empty hallway until Waverly drags her eyes away and back to Wynonna when she hears her sigh.

“I can’t do this.” Wynonna says, getting up from the couch.

Well, that took longer than first anticipated.

Wynonna's pacing again, staring at her feet as she goes.

“What? What can’t you do?” Waverly asks, still sitting on the couch; she knows cornering her sister isn’t going to help anything, so she sits there and waits. It doesn’t take long for Wynonna's reply to come tumbling out of her mouth.

“This!” Wynonna gestures to herself and then continues, “This!” Wynonna repeats, gesturing to her still flat stomach, “I can’t have a kid! I’m a complete train wreck as a _person_ ! I don’t- I’m not _you_ , Waverly!”

“You think I wasn’t-” Waverly cuts herself off, lowering her voice before she continues, “You think I wasn’t scared shitless when I found out I was pregnant with Warner?! In case you missed it, my wife just sang the hook of a rap song from 2011 to our two week old son, Wynonna. _Clearly_ none of us really know what we’re doing!”

Wynonna just stares at her for a second and Waverly’s not really sure what turn this conversation is about to take, but she can feel it changing.

She does not expect Wynonna to burst out laughing, but it happens all the same, and she finds herself joining in. They keep laughing until Waverly’s stomach hurts and their laughter is void of sound. Somewhere in all their laughter, Wynonna stumbles over to the couch and sits down.

Sobering up from their outburst is the hard part because that change Waverly felt before seems to be solidifying in the silence now sitting between them. Waverly knows what Wynonna is going to say before she even opens her mouth to say it.

“I can’t do this. I’m not- Waverly, I can’t have it.” Wynonna says with a deep sigh that seems to take more out of her than the admission.

Waverly doesn’t say anything at first, she just leans her body into Wynonna’s and wraps her up in a hug. It takes a while before she finds her voice, before it feels right to even say anything.

“That’s okay.” Waverly whispers.

Wynonna’s body relaxes at Waverly’s words and Waverly hadn't even realized just how tense her sister was before.

She means it, though. It _is_ okay. This is Wynonna's choice to make, and it's not like motherhood is right for every woman.

“I’ll go with you if you want?” Waverly offers, worried about the silence between them.

Wynonna just nods at first and then chokes out a strangled, “Please?”

“Hey, it’ll be okay. I promise, it’ll be okay.” Waverly says as Wynonna turns to look at her.

Waverly wipes what tears she can catch from Wynonna's cheeks and then tucks Wynonna's hair behind her ear.  

“I’ll be right there with you. We can find a good place in Fort Collins, that way we won’t have to worry about the old biddies down at the beauty shop sticking their noses where they don’t belong.”  

Wynonna laughs at that, which is what Waverly was angling for. She knows this decision isn’t an easy one for Wynonna to make. This isn’t an easy decision for _anyone_ to make. But it’s Wynonna’s all the same and Waverly is not about to stop supporting her sister now.

“Go home and talk to your boys. They need to know.” Waverly says, running her fingers through Wynonna’s hair, “And tomorrow we’ll make you an appointment.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right.” Wynonna says, sniffling and rubbing at her eyes. “I just...I don’t think I can tell them tonight.”

Waverly’s nodding before she even realizes it, “Okay, okay, that’s fine.”

Wynonna just looks at Waverly so lost and confused and Waverly finally sees the fear in her sister’s eyes. This is an all-consuming terror and there’s really nothing she can do to fix the situation. But of course, that’s not going to stop Waverly from trying.

“You’ll be okay, Wynonna. We’ll figure this out; you’re not alone.”

Wynonna’s nodding silently and tearing up in response and Waverly just pulls her in, giving her sister a side hug. They stay like that for a while, just sitting together in silence and Waverly doesn’t exactly want to break the moment, but she also knows they can’t stay like this forever- she’s in danger of falling back asleep on this couch if they stay like this for much longer. But Wynonna has finally started to calm down enough that Waverly doesn’t fear sending her out to drive back to the homestead, at least.

Waverly is broken out of her thoughts as Wynonna takes a deep breath in and then shifts away from her.

“Okay, if I don’t leave now, you might end up having a permanent house guest.” Wynonna says with a dry laugh as she stands up.

“You sure you’re ready to head back?” Waverly finds herself asking, still seated.

“Yeah. I’ve taken up too much of your time already-”

“Wynonna-” Waverly cuts in, standing up from the couch, her sister’s name falling out in a sad sigh.

“No, it’s fine. I shouldn’t have come over this late. Go back to sleep. We’ll talk tomorrow.” Wynonna says with a small smile.

“Are you sure?” Waverly asks.

“I’m a big girl, Waves. I can make it through the night.” Wynonna reassures her, though Waverly doesn’t feel so sure.

“Well, text me when you get back to the homestead, then.” Waverly says, pulling Wynonna in for another hug.

“I’ll be sure to do that.” Wynonna says as she pulls away and heads for the front door.

Waverly follows after Wynonna and then watches as she pulls out of the driveway. Only when taillights are all Waverly sees does she actually go back inside the house.

Suddenly at Wynonna’s departure, Waverly finds herself absolutely exhausted. All of the excitement and fear and adrenaline has worn off and she’s just left with an aching exhaustion in its wake. All she wants to do is sleep.

Waverly drags herself down the hall and back into the bedroom, only to find Nicole awake in bed.

“I thought you’d be asleep.” Waverly says, pulling the covers down on her side of the bed.

“I woke up when you walked in.” Nicole replies.

Of course the reason for Nicole’s hypervigilance goes unsaid; Waverly already knows why. They both only sleep so much these days and Waverly knows she finds herself only half-asleep most of that time. She can’t let herself fully rest; their own house doesn’t feel safe anymore. Falling asleep even when she knows Warner is in the same room doesn’t feel like a luxury she can allow herself.

They haven’t talked about it, but Waverly is certain Nicole feels the same.

“So...that was something.” Waverly says, picking up her pillow and fluffing it.

“You can say that again. You think she’ll be okay?” Nicole asks.

“I mean, yeah? This can’t be the first time she’s had to go through this. Not if high school was anything to go by.” Waverly observes, placing her pillow back down and climbing into bed.

“Whoa! Judgey much, Waverly?” Nicole asks, taken aback.

“What? Nicole, come on-” Waverly gets cut off there.

“No, _you_ come on, Waves. That was actually really-” Nicole pauses, glancing over at Warner in his bassinet before continuing in a hushed voice, “That was really shitty of you. You don’t know what Wynonna’s been through, and even if this isn’t the first time she’s faced something like this, it doesn’t mean she doesn’t deserve our concern- concern for _her_ _well being_.”

“Of course I know that! Don’t act like I don’t support my own sister, Nicole!” Waverly bites back, defensive.

“Could’ve fooled me! You’re acting like she should just shrug this off or something. I don’t know, that just doesn’t sound supportive to me.”

Waverly doesn’t reply, she just pulls the covers up to her neck and angrily flips over onto her side, facing away from Nicole.

They stay like that for a while and Waverly is painfully aware that Nicole hasn’t moved an inch. She hasn’t laid down or anything, and Waverly's guilt is eating away at her.

“You’re right.” Waverly grumbles, more into the covers than to Nicole.

No response, so Waverly waits. It feels like an eternity has passed before she huffs and then rolls onto her back, staring at the ceiling before she repeats herself.

“You’re right, okay? I shouldn’t have been like that. I was just shocked, you know?” Waverly says.

Still no reply.

“Baby?” Waverly asks, finally looking over at Nicole.

She’s asleep. Nicole is asleep sitting up against the headboard of their bed, and Waverly can’t help but laugh.

At least one of them is getting some rest.

Waverly turns back to the ceiling and thinks over everything that has happened. Wynonna actually came to her for advice, and she has to admit it’s nice to feel needed. But this is also the first time Wynonna has come to her for _anything_ personal. Waverly can’t deny that even though things seem to be falling apart, they also sort of feel like they are coming together.

But then she remembers their move, and the bar, and everything else. All the loose ends they still have to consider.

Just as Waverly starts to fall asleep, her cell phone buzzes on the side table. She leans over and grabs her it off the nightstand, unlocking it and scanning over the message.

Wynonna got home safely.

Waverly places her phone back on the nightstand and sighs as she tries to get comfortable. She knows this peace will only last as long as Warner is asleep, and she knows they’re already working on borrowed time, but whatever sleep she can manage is good enough for now. Waverly’s chewing her bottom lip as she moves from room to room. She has so much nervous energy that she can’t make herself sit still.

* * *

 

“Are you sure about this?” Waverly asks, trailing after Nicole.

“I am pretty sure I can handle being alone with my own son for a few hours.” Nicole replies, a bit of a bite to her tone.

Waverly can’t exactly blame Nicole for her reaction, but she also can't stop herself from pushing the issue. She is going to be leaving Warner alone for the first time, ever. The only other time Warner wasn't just within walking distance, Revenants had him, and then Constance Clootie tried to sink her hooks into him. So as much as Waverly knows Nicole can do this, she can't stop her stomach churning with absolute dread at the prospect of leaving her baby.

“I still think you two should go to the homestead for awhile. I know Willa is there and would love to see Warner.” Waverly says, bouncing Warner in her arms as she continues following her wife.

Nicole sighs and stops in her tracks. Waverly can’t help but frown as Nicole turns to face her.

“Waverly!” Nicole snaps, but then softens as they stare at one another. “I can do this, I promise. We’ll be safe and sound the entire time. I know you’re worried but I swear, Warner and I will be _fine_.”

Waverly wants to believe her. She wants to stand here and believe her wife is telling her the truth, and really, there is no evidence to the contrary. So, she takes a deep breath and nods her head as she exhales slowly.

“Hand him over.” Nicole says, cocking an eyebrow and motioning to Waverly to give her their son.

Waverly hesitates, and she hates herself for it just the tiniest bit.

“Waverly, if you don’t hand me that baby and get the-” Nicole trips over her words briefly, trying to censor herself, “-the heck out of here, I will have to resort to force.”

Waverly opens her mouth to respond.

“And not the fun kind.” Nicole adds before Waverly can get a word in.

Waverly just huffs in reply and hands Warner to Nicole, trying not to make a show of her reluctance.

“Mommy will be back as soon as she can be, I promise.” Waverly coos as she runs her hand through Warner’s hair and kisses the top of his head.

“Can you say, ‘Mommy is crazy’? Can you? I bet you’ll be able to soon!” Nicole hums to Warner, eyeing Waverly the whole time.

“Oh, would you stop it? This is the first time I’ve left him since-!” Waverly cuts herself off there, unable to finish her sentence. She doesn't need to finish the thought, though; Nicole already knows.

As if on cue, Warner starts fussing and Waverly wonders briefly if it's due to the shift in the mood of the room. It probably is.

“Sh, sh, sh, little man. Mama's here, I’ve got you” Nicole hums as she sways from one side to the other.

“I…” Waverly doesn’t get any farther than that. She’s not even sure what she would say, even if she could think of anything. There’s an apology sitting on the tip of her tongue, but she’s doing everything she can to bite it back. There is nothing to apologize for. There is no need to be sorry. But she feels sorry, regardless.

“Hey, I know. It’s okay.” Nicole says, voice soft and gentle, and it takes a second for Waverly to realize that Nicole is speaking to her, now.

“Yeah...yeah.” Waverly finds herself saying, voice a little hollow, even to her own ears as she nods along to her words.

She's not convinced.

Nicole doesn’t complain about her puttering around the house for a little while longer after that. Though, finally, the peace is broken.

“If you don’t go soon, you’ll be late.” Nicole says, down on the floor with Warner for tummy time.

“I still think you two should go to the homestead…” Waverly ventures.

“Waverly!” Nicole snaps Waverly's name like a warning.

“But you’d be _safe_ there!” Waverly argues, despite herself.

“We are safe _right here_ ! Besides, I do _not_ want to be anywhere near Willa right now. Lord knows she'll just spend the time either gushing about Kevin-” Nicole makes a disgusted face as her brother's name leaves her mouth, “-making me sick to my stomach, or criticizing my parenting! If you think I am going to subject myself to that, you are sorely mistaken, Revenants or no Revenants!” Nicole fires back.

“You’re not even listening!”

“Because I don’t _need_ to listen, Waverly! We’ll be fine here. Now get that pretty little ass of yours out of my house, or so help me god!” Nicole huffs, sitting up in front of Warner to stare properly at Waverly.

“Fine! Fine! But if anything happens-” Waverly gets cut off.

“Out!” Nicole yells, pointing towards the front door, “Out now! I don’t wanna hear anymore. Go take care of your sister!”

It twists something in Waverly’s chest to leave just as Warner starts crying. In fact, she’s just standing on the porch staring at the closed front door and feeling a bit dumbfounded.

Of course, her phone buzzes in her pocket and drags her attention away from the very real temptation to just go back inside.

Wynonna’s texting her asking if she's on her way, and a fresh new pang of guilt eats away at her.

She makes her way to her Jeep and climbs in, and about halfway to the homestead does the sudden thought hit her that her beloved car is, in fact, a death trap- at least now that she has a baby to think about. She’s debating the merits of selling Nicole’s truck to get a new car, and exactly how she can convince her wife of such, when she pulls up to the homestead.

Wynonna wastes no time climbing in. She was pacing outside on the porch when Waverly pulled up.

“Hey, you-” Waverly doesn’t get much further than that before Wynonna is slamming the door of the Jeep shut.

“Sorry, just thinking too much...” Wynonna offers in explanation.

“Okay, but don’t take it out on my baby!” Waverly argues as she pats the dashboard of her car as an apology on her sister's behalf.

“Fine, fine, whatever. Just start driving, or I’ll go back inside and face the endless stream of questions from Doc and Dolls. It would be preferable to hearing you ramble on about this old thing!” Wynonna grumbles, shifting in her seat as she aggressively clicks her seatbelt on.

“Hey, my Jeep has been through a lot, but she’s still going strong!” Waverly argues, starting the car back up and pulling out onto the road

“I really don’t see how I never caught on to you liking girls. You’ve called this rust bucket a girl from day one.” Wynonna says, leaning over and fiddling with the radio dial.

“You weren’t exactly paying attention back then…” Waverly trails off, watching the road, thankful that she doesn’t have to meet her sister’s gaze in this moment.

“Well, I’m paying attention now. Anything you wanna get off your chest?” Wynonna says, clearing her throat, “I mean, we’ve definitely got the time.”

“This isn’t about me, Wynonna.” Waverly says, finally glancing over at her sister. “But is there- I mean, do _you_ need to talk?”

“No, stop deflecting. What’s going on in that head of yours?” Wynonna asks.

Waverly’s pretty sure this is just a distraction tactic to get her mind off of exactly what they’re driving towards, but Waverly’s willing to bite...so much. “I don’t know, I’ve just been stressed lately. I mean, I don’t really sleep well anymore, and it’s not- honestly, it’s not all because of Warner waking me up…”

Waverly did not mean to admit that, but the words just started pouring out of her mouth, and it’s nice to finally say it all aloud. She didn’t realize how much she needed to just say that she’s not okay, and Wynonna of all people should understand at least enough to listen.

“It’s because of Constance, right?” Wynonna asks, voice soft and searching.

Waverly doesn’t trust herself to speak, so she just nods, eyes intent on the road ahead of her.

“I still get nightmares, too. I’m not sure if it will ever go away, especially with what you guys went through, but it should lessen with time.”

“Yeah.” Waverly says, voice strained as she chokes up on the steering wheel.

“I’m here for you if you need me.” Wynonna offers as Waverly glances over at her.

“Yeah, I know.” Waverly replies, simply, turning back to the road, “But seriously, do you... I mean, given everything that’s happening today, if you need to talk, you can. I’m all ears.”

Wynonna doesn’t reply at first, and Waverly doesn’t press the issue immediately, but then a few more minutes pass and she’s starting to get antsy.

“Wynonna, come on, you can talk to me.”

“I’m not really sure I can. I mean, Waverly, I don’t know what I’m doing...” Wynonna trails off.

“Wynonna?” Waverly phrases her sister’s name as a question, and there is a pause before any sort of reply.

“Did you ever have doubts about Warner? I mean, not knowing for sure the whole time. That’s just normal, right?” Wynonna asks, looking out the car window.

“I was scared, for sure. I was debating climbing out the bathroom window when the first test came up positive, which was dumb. I mean, there was a perfectly good front door right there!” Waverly laughs a little before continuing, “But when things calmed down, I just sort of knew. Why?”

Wynonna doesn’t say anything at first, she just makes a small noise in the back of her throat.

“I’ve just been thinking...” Wynonna says, trailing off.

“Okay, what’s going on? I mean, is this too much? Do you need more time? I know it’s already been a week, but maybe we can-” Waverly gets cut off there.

“Waverly- I-I’m not sure I want to do this.” Wynonna’s voice is soft as she replies, but Waverly heard her. There is no doubt in that.

Pulling the Jeep over goes smoother than Waverly first anticipated, given that she didn’t think beyond the motion, but there is luckily minimum sliding to a stop on the side of the icy road.

“What the hell, Waverly?!” Wynonna yells, hands on the dashboard to steady herself.

“I am pretty sure that is my line right now!” Waverly yells back, “Now, explain yourself!”

There is a silence that fills the Jeep and this time it feels heavy. Waverly turns the engine off and waits. She will wait all day, if that’s what it takes because she needs answers. They can’t go anywhere without them- not forward or back.

Finally, Wynonna speaks.

“I don’t think I want to have an abortion. It’s just- I’ve been thinking about it a lot since I was at your house last week and maybe...maybe I wouldn’t be awful at this? I have Doc and Dolls, and-” Waverly cuts in there.

“They didn’t pressure you into this, did they? Because if they _did,_ I will take a damn shotgun to their junk-”

“Jesus, Waverly, no they didn’t pressure me into anything! They were really good about it when I told them. I wouldn’t be doing this for them, I’d be doing it for _me_.” Wynonna puts her hand to her chest as if to emphasize her point, “Look, I’m already pregnant, and I wouldn’t be doing it on my own. I’d have two really great guys right there with me. They’d be over the moon about this if we went back there and I told them I was keeping it… I really think I wanna do this.” Wynonna finally finishes.

Waverly just sits there and stares at Wynonna, falling back against her seat as she tries to digest all of the information that was just piled up on top of her.

“Well, why did you even come today? I mean, we could have cancelled your appointment days ago.” Waverly offers, confused.

“I wasn’t sure then, but-”

“No, Wynonna, having a kid isn’t something you just _decide_ \- I mean, it is, but you- you have to want this for the right reasons.” Waverly finds herself arguing. “It’s not like getting pet.”

“It’s not like I planned this, Waves! It just kind of happened, but what’s the harm in seeing it through?” Wynonna replies, defensive.

“You know just how shitty it can be if you- you can’t just bring a kid into this world and then decide later that you wanna check out of being a parent! It shouldn’t work that way! You were there, you were in that damn house with me, you saw how Daddy treated me. How he just- you can’t walk into this lightly!” Waverly’s throat tightens and she can’t continue, but that’s fine because Wynonna seems to have found a well of opinions to fill the silence.

“Have some faith, will you?! I’m not Daddy, I’m not going to just- I’d take care of my own damn kid, Waverly! And Doc and Dolls-”

“It has to be you, too! You have to want to be a Mom!” Waverly yells, voice choked.

“I do! I have wanted it since I got home that night!” Wynonna yells into the small space between them and suddenly everything seems to fall into place. “I mean, on some level, at least. I wasn’t one hundred percent or anything, but-”

“...Why?” Waverly asks, confused, trying to find her composure.

“What?” Wynonna asks, clearing her throat

“Why do you want to do this?” Waverly asks, still trying to wrap her brain around the reasoning for this sudden change of heart.

“I was scared out of my fucking mind but I...after I got back, it just felt, right, you know? I mean, I could screw this all up. I could fuck this kid up for life but honestly, I see what you and Nicole have and I...I want that, too.” Wynonna admits.

“But having a kid isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. My body is _wrecked_ after Warner, and some nights I just want to smother Nicole in her sleep for doing this to me-” At Wynonna’s shocked expression, Waverly adds, “Lightly, lightly smother.”

“I get that. I just, I think I could do this whole mom thing. Don’t you?” Wynonna asks, looking at Waverly with pleading eyes.

“Wynonna...do you even know who the father is?” Waverly asks.

“No…”

“That- that could get really messy really quickly.” Waverly ventures.

“They already- we talked about everything, Waves. If I wanted to keep it, they weren’t going to stand in my way. They said they’d both consider themselves the father, regardless of blood.”

“So you really have been thinking this through?”

“Of course I have! I mean, this is going to change my entire life!” Wynonna yells, exasperated. “As long as I have my boys and you? I’ll be okay. I _want_ to do this.”

They sit like that for a few seconds, just looking at one another as reality starts to hit them.

“You owe me gas money for this, you know.” Waverly says as she starts the Jeep up and heads back to Purgatory.

“Yeah, yeah, you’ll get paid, don’t worry.” Wynonna replies, looking out the window to the road rushing past them.

Another silence stretches over them, but this one feels far more comfortable as Purgatory’s radio stations drift back into the jeep.

“What about Revenants?” Waverly asks, looking over at Wynonna.

“Huh? Oh, well, I mean, we’re on the homestead land. They can’t get there. Besides, there’s not that many left.” Wynonna reminds her.

“Oh, yeah, right…” Waverly trails off, thinking.

“Hey, you could always camp out at the homestead with us! I’m sure I could make Doc dig up our old camping gear if I have to!” Wynonna laughs at her own joke. “Sorry, sorry, just remembering that time Daddy took us camping and you cried when a frog got into your sleeping bag!”

“Oh my god, Wynonna, I was like three!” Waverly yells in her own defense.

“It was still hilarious!” Wynonna says between laughter.

“Yeah, you’ll definitely make a great mom.” Waverly grumbles as she continues driving.

They finally make it back to Purgatory, and thankfully, Wynonna does pay up the gas money she owes. Waverly’s parked the jeep and Wynonna unbuckled her seatbelt but hasn’t moved to get out of the car.

“You want me to go in there with you?” Waverly offers, hand hovering above her own seatbelt.

Wynonna’s just staring at the house until Waverly waves her hand in front of her face, and Wynonna comes back to reality.

“I don’t wanna go in there. What if- what if they’re disappointed in me?” Wynonna asks, voice shaking the slightest bit.

“Are you crazy? Like you said, they’re going to be thrilled!” Waverly says, smiling at Wynonna, trying to lift her spirits, “If this is what _you_ want, they’ll be happy.”

Waverly unbuckles her seatbelt, but Wynonna’s hands hover just over Waverly’s lap, “No, I can do this on my own. Besides, I think I want it to be just us.”

Waverly smiles and is glad that Wynonna’s actually smiling now, too. “But what about Willa?” Waverly asks, frowning into the question.

“Oh, she’s probably still out with Kevin.” Wynonna says, opening the door to the Jeep and getting out. She leans a little through the open window and smiles at Waverly, “Thanks. For everything.”

“Yeah, no problem.” Waverly answers automatically.

“No, really, thank you Waverly. That offer to listen still stands if you need it, though.”

“I think you’ve got your plate full for a while, even if I had anything to talk about.” Waverly says, feeling like her smile is a bit more forced than just a second ago.

“I’ll let you know how this goes.” Wynonna says with a wink before patting the door and pushing off of it, heading into the house.

Waverly watches as Wynonna goes, sitting in the jeep for a few seconds before finally buckling her seatbelt and pulling out of the driveway.

There is absolutely no way they can move now. Not when Wynonna is going to go through with the pregnancy. But Waverly weighs her options, and there is also absolutely no way they can keep living where they’re at. She’s found herself between a rock and a hard place and there is no easy way out.

Then again, Wynonna is an adult, and even if she is a mess of a human being, Waverly knows just how much going through a pregnancy can change a person. She knows that she is definitely not the same person she was before Warner, and neither is Nicole. Besides, it’s not like Wynonna would be alone if they _did_ leave. She would still have Doc, Dolls, and even Willa.

Waverly doesn’t know what to do anymore, but maybe getting home and actually discussing the day's events with Nicole will help sort things out. She knows where Nicole stands but...things have changed a bit now. Waverly’s just not sure how much leeway she has with Nicole, especially on something like this.

Pulling into her own driveway brings on a sense of comfort even Waverly can’t deny. Sure, it’s not perfect and things certainly aren’t sorted in the least, but she’s home now and her little family is waiting inside. Things feel a bit more stable now, at the very least.

Waverly takes a deep breath in and unbuckles her seatbelt.

Walking into the house, Waverly is overcome with a sense of dread. At first she doesn’t realize what feels off about the place, but then it hits her; Orie didn’t bark when she unlocked the front door. The TV is on, so the place doesn’t feel entirely abandoned, but still, the hairs on the back of Waverly’s neck stand on end.

That is, until her brain registers the voices coming from their TV. The fast-paced pop culture references are unmistakable to Waverly now.

Nicole is asleep on the couch. Asleep with Warner on her chest as Gilmore Girls plays softly on the TV a few feet away. Hell, Orie even joined in on the fun and Waverly understands why there was no hyperactive puppy greeting as she sees that her vicious guard dog is snuggled underneath one of Nicole’s legs.

Oh, Waverly is not about to let this moment go undocumented in as many forms as she can get it. There are a few pictures taken, and she starts up a recording just as Warner stirs, waking up with a yawn bigger than his little face. Waverly absolutely melts.

She now understands every mom who has ever talked about wanting to just gobble up her children from the sheer overload of cuteness, because she currently feels that.

Nicole wakes up seconds after Warner with a yawn of her own, and Waverly wants to bottle this moment and its absolute perfection. Thankfully, she pretty much has as she’s still recording it, only to stop as Nicole grabs for the TV remote.

“Morning, sleepyheads.” Waverly says with a grin, looking from Nicole to Warner and then settling her gaze back on Nicole,

“I was just, uh-” Nicole fumbles, trying to pause the TV and not managing in the slightest, “You’re home early.”

“I see you found some entertainment in my absence.” Waverly says, smug, as Lorelai Gilmore yammers on about poodles in the background.

"We needed something to fall asleep to, that’s all.” Nicole says, not bothering to sit up just yet.

“Mhm, sure.” Waverly says, nodding along, her smug expression still firmly in place as she picks Warner up off of Nicole’s chest.

Warner squirms and coos as he is picked up, only to snuggle into Waverly the moment she has him close to her chest. “I missed you soooo much.” Waverly whispers, swaying from one side to side as Warner begins to fall back asleep in her arms.

“You uh, you really weren’t gone very long.” Nicole says as she sits up and grabs her cell phone off of the coffee table, checking the time on her lock screen.

Waverly looks over at Nicole and grins before sitting down on her lap, taking a deep satisfaction from Nicole’s arms going around her waist as she settles in,  “Oh boy, do I have a lot to tell you.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone finally practices good communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I know that there was a pause in updates, a considerable one given my last posting schedule but life came up. So in an effort to make up for my absence have this extra long chapter!
> 
> Also, one day eventual smut will not mean smut in chapter two...but we are so not there yet.
> 
> This is my holiday gift to you, enjoy!

Waverly knows she’s fussing over Warner. She knows she should stop, even. But she can’t, so instead she just keeps talking to him as she straps him into his carseat.

There is still all this nervous energy buzzing through her. She knows the checkup went fine- she knows they’re _both_ fine, given that while she requested Warner get a six week checkup (just to be on the safe side), she also had _her_ six week postnatal as well. But she can’t stop fussing until Warner is safely in his carseat. In fact, she doesn’t take her eyes off of him until she’s walking around the truck and has no other choice.

Everything is fine. They are both fine and healthy. Really, Waverly has no reason to worry, but still, she finds herself worried. It isn’t until she pulls into the grocery store parking lot and parks the truck that her real concerns come to light. She knows why she’s so nervous, and it actually has nothing to do with Warner.

She just got the all clear to have sex again.

Waverly’s been on the baby forums long enough to know that hesitation is normal. She knows that most of the women on there didn’t have sex for months after giving birth. She’s heard all the stories (once she finally deciphered the nonsensical abbreviations) and she knows that this is up to her; Waverly knows that Nicole will wait if she’s not ready. The issue is that Waverly _is_ ready, she’s just found herself worried that maybe after all of this, Nicole won’t be attracted to her anymore.

Waverly’s gotten Warner out of the truck still in his carseat and gotten the proper cart to hold him, all on autopilot- which should be seen as a wild victory, given how difficult navigating Dixie is for her. The truck’s name is ridiculous; you would think Nicole was the one from a small town naming her behemoth truck Dixie of all things, but she will not let it go. Waverly's tried.

“Okay, so what’ve we got to get? Hm, Warner?” Waverly hums, speaking to her son, “Well, luckily Mommy made a list!” She pulls said list out of her pocket with a flourish.

Of course, Waverly knows she could have just written the list on her phone, but it’s always some weird comfort to physically write down what she needs. Besides, it also helps her remember what she needs better than keeping it in her phone.

She made sure to go through the house this morning and really figure out what they needed. Diapers and wipes are the first thing on the list, further down are other miscellaneous household supplies. But at the very top, before the list actually began, she scrawled in all caps, ‘CALL JUDY’.

See, Waverly’s list is not actually complete. Mainly because she only has a half formulated plan that requires Judy for completion. Before all that though, she goes around the store and gets the items she already specifically listed. It’s when she’s crossed the last thing off the list that she finally gives in and calls Judy.

The phone rings three times before Waverly hears her mother-in-law on the other end.

“Hello?” Judy asks, and Waverly tries to just dive in.

“Hi, Judy, it’s Waverly. I’m just-”

“Oh, hi, Waverly! It’s so nice to hear from you! How’re things with little Warner Nicholas? Not giving you too much trouble, I hope!” Judy laughs.

Waverly tries to cut back in, but to no avail.

“If he takes after Nicole, you shouldn’t have too much trouble. Speaking of Nicole, I really wish you all would come for a visit. We could show you around the neighborhood, give you a top notch tour of the place. I mean, you _are_ still thinking bout moving, right?”

“I, um, Judy...Warner, oh yeah, Warner is doing just fine. I um, I actually called about a recipe.”

“Of course, Dear! What did you have in mind?”

Waverly was hoping to avoid this question, and in an attempt to somehow escape, she ends up pushing the cart down a few of the grocery aisles, aimlessly. She knows she must look ridiculous, half hunched over her grocery cart with a sleeping infant in the carseat in front. But that doesn’t exactly matter because for all her planning, she didn’t think this far ahead.

“I was wondering if you could give me the recipe for Nicole’s favorite dish. I wanted to do something nice for her tonight since she just went back to work the other day and it’s been a bit hard on her being away from the baby.”

“Eggplant parmesan? I would have thought you could get that recipe online! I know how you kids are with your phones and apps and things.”

Waverly hesitates on her answer briefly, straightening up as she continues to mosey down the aisle. “Yeah, I just, um, I wanted your recipe. I mean, Nicole raves about it.”

She’s lying through her teeth, of course. Before this exact moment, Waverly didn’t even know what Nicole’s favorite dish _was_. The whole point in the phone call was getting information out of Judy beyond a recipe (one Waverly hasn’t entirely decided she is going to follow).

“Does she?” Judy asks, sounding surprised before continuing, “Well, of course I’ll give it to you! Are you ready?”

Waverly is not ready, and she’s not even really listening that hard. She’s making sounds of acknowledgement here and there, but mostly she’s just waiting to get off the phone so she can google a recipe for herself since she doesn’t have much opportunity to write anything down in the middle of the Piggly Wiggly next to the frozen peas.

Finally, Judy stops talking and Waverly thanks her and ends the call, promising to visit soon and to get Warner on a Skype call with her at some point before then.

Waverly wheels her cart down the various aisles and picks up what ingredients she can remember from the call and those she looks up on her phone. She plans on tweaking the found recipe and Judy’s to create something all her own (within the constraints of the dish). Warner only fusses once as they continue shopping, and Waverly curbs that disaster by popping a binky into his mouth. She knows he needs to be fed soon, but she doesn’t exactly have an opportunity to do that at the moment.

Soon Waverly is walking down a few more aisles, trying to figure out if there is anything she has overlooked. She walked away from the grocery aisles a while ago, confident that she had everything she needed.

It’s the pink cardboard that catches her eye first. Scanning over the wall of menstrual products, another thought comes to mind. She heads over to the corner where the pink products seem to fade until she is faced with pregnancy tests. A shiver goes up her spine at the prospect of needing that any time soon. Quickly, she moves on, keeping a lookout for what she actually wants and finds it sitting right beside a First Response test.

Dropping the box of condoms into the cart feels as if she is solidifying her decision. She could back out, of course, but if she’s honest, she doesn’t want to. She’s going to have sex with her wife tonight. That should feel like a victory, though Waverly’s stomach is still in knots.

Waverly heads towards the registers and stands in line, overthinking things like only she can do, when a high-pitched voice breaks her out of her thoughts.

“Waverly?”

Waverly looks in the direction her name was called, only to be faced with a perky blonde woman walking towards her.

"Waverly Earp! As I live and breathe, it _is_ you!”

Waverly stomach twists as she recognizes the young woman now standing in front of her. Summer Bishop was in the same grade as her in high school. They were never exceedingly close, especially when Summer found out that Waverly lived with Gus and Curtis and put two and two together with the rumors going around about Wynonna and their father. Waverly spent most of high school trying to one-up Summer and was pretty glad they lost contact after graduation.

And now here she is, and Waverly feels that same fake smile on her face, the action both forced and familiar, all in the same breath.

“Oh my god, Summer?!” Waverly finds her voice rising in pitch to match Summer’s and she hates herself for it.

“Didn’t expect to see you around here!” Summer says, smiling at Waverly before her gaze drops to Warner in his carseat, “Oh, I see you’ve been busy!”

Waverly laughs and it sounds awkward and fake to her own ears. Summer doesn’t seem to notice though as she moves closer, leaning over to get a better look at Warner.

“Who’s this handsome little fella?” Summer asks, looking back up at Waverly.

“That’s my son, Warner-” Waverly gets cut off there, which seems to be the theme of the day.

“Oh, he is absolutely precious!” Summer says before turning back to Warner, “Oh yes you are, yes you are, such a handsome boy you are!” Summer coos, her voice turning into unintelligible sounds as she baby talks Warner.

Waverly’s blood boils at the baby talk. No one is allowed the opportunity to slow the development of her child, especially not _Summer fucking Bishop._

“Sorry, Summer, we’re actually in kind of a rush.” Waverly lies, trying to get them away from her, knowing that will be a task in itself, if the past is anything to go by.

“Oh right, right- oh my god!” Summer squeals as her eyes lock on Waverly’s hand, “Looks like you finally managed to wrangle Champ Hardy in!” Summer teases as she grabs Waverly’s hand to inspect the rings.

“Actually, I um- Summer, not to be rude, but why are you even here? I never thought I’d see you back in these parts.” Waverly finds herself asking as she pulls her hand back.

“Oh, yeah!” Summer laughs before continuing, knocking herself in the head playfully, “Silly me, of course you don’t know yet! I’m actually moving back! I just got a job here as a deputy.” Summer ends her statement with a big grin.

Briefly, Waverly wants to throw up.

“You did?” Waverly asks before she can stop the words coming out of her mouth.

“Mhm, graduated top of my class at the academy.” Summer says, pausing before looking at Warner and then back to Waverly, “But you! You’ve done so much more! I mean, you’re someone’s _mother_! I don’t think I could ever! Honestly, I’m not even sure how you do it.”

Before Waverly can think of a response, Summer is nudging her, “Line’s moving, Waves.”

“I- oh yeah.” Waverly says dumbly as she moves them forward, thankful that Warner isn’t fussing.

In fact, when Waverly looks at him, she sees he’s been awake the whole time and is currently watching Summer (or at least the blob that is Summer to him). The part that makes Waverly laugh out loud is that he has the exact same expression on his face that she has seen Nicole sport time and time again when annoyed.

Before Waverly can bring her attention back to Summer, who has started speaking again, her phone rings. As Waverly fishes it from the depths of her purse, she’s silently hoping the call doesn’t end before she can answer it. Currently, it doesn’t matter who is calling, she plans on devoting all of her attention to the person on the other end, and maybe even making up an excuse to leave if Summer doesn’t get the hint.

Luckily, she manages to get her phone out in time and finally recognizes the ringtone before she scans the caller ID.

“Hey, you!” Waverly says cheerfully as she answers the phone.

“Hey, Baby. How did everything go today?” Nicole asks.

Waverly shifts where she stands and catches Summer’s eye, flashing her wedding band. Thankfully, Summer catches on quickly and motions to dismiss herself, whispering with a wink, “Say hi to the hubby for me!”

“What was that?” Nicole asks as Waverly returns her attention to the phone call.

“Nothing, don’t worry about it.” Waverly says, “To answer your other question, though, everything went well today. Clean bills of health all around.” She says as she moves up in line and starts placing her purchases on the conveyor belt.

“Good, I’m glad to hear it. I actually called for another reason, though. Looks like I’ll be getting home a little later than usual. I’m swamped with reports right now and it’s not like I can just take my work home with me.” Nicole says with a small laugh.

“Oh, okay.” Waverly says, still putting things on the conveyor belt.

She knows she sounds distracted, and she is, as she puts the last few things up and then pulls the cart towards her, pushing it so that Warner is back in front of her.

“I’m sorry, Baby. I’ll do my best to get back home as soon as I can.” Nicole says, apologetic.

“No, no, it’s okay. I don’t want you to rush or anything. Take your time. Warner and I can occupy ourselves for a while. Plus, I have a little surprise for you when you get home and honestly, the more time I have to prepare, the better.” Waverly says, hoping to clarify.

“Well, alright, but I’m still going to get through this mountain of work as soon as I can.” Nicole laughs, sounding more enthusiastic than before.

“Okay, Baby; sounds good.” Waverly agrees, laughing as well.

Not long after that exchange, Waverly hangs up the call and then heads back to the truck. She situates Warner, strapping his carseat back in before she makes work of putting the groceries up. Soon they’re back home and Waverly has put the perishables away before she sits down to feed Warner.

It’s in the middle of the feeding that her phone buzzes with a text message from Wynonna. Waverly hadn’t heard much from her after the initial phone call stating that everything went fine- in fact, more than fine- when Wynonna sat Doc and Dolls down and told them the news about keeping the baby.

Warner finishes eating and Waverly burps him before she checks his diaper. She swipes her phone off of the kitchen table as she carries Warner into the nursery to change him. She dials Wynonna’s number and then holds the phone between her ear and her shoulder as she changes Warner.

“Hello?” Wynonna answers.

“Hey, you texted?” Waverly asks as she grabs a fresh diaper from underneath the changing table, one hand still on Warner as she searches around.

“Yeah, you think you can make it over here? I kinda need to talk to you.” Wynonna says, sounding a bit anxious.

“Yeah, sure. Is everything okay?” Waverly asks, situating the diaper underneath Warner and then applying powder before taping him up.

“Just head over when you can, okay?” Wynonna says.

“Sure, I’ll be over as soon as I put the groceries away.” Waverly says, worried now as she picks up Warner and situates him against her free shoulder.

She doesn’t make it out of the nursery before the call ends and as soon as she hangs up the phone, she gets Warner into a fresh outfit and then sets him in his swing as she puts the groceries away. Thankfully, it doesn’t take her long to get everything sorted. Of course, the moment she stands up, Orie is on her begging for attention.

“Okay, Buddy, okay! Come on, you gotta be gentle, _gentle._ ” Waverly says as Orie calms down- at least he’s stopped jumping around. “Good boy!” She praises as she leans down and pets him.

One game of tug of war, and another less traumatizing introduction to Warner later, and they are on their way out of the house.

As soon as Waverly gets Warner situated and buckles herself in, her mind starts racing. Wynonna’s skirting of the issue when she asked if things were okay did not escape her notice, and now Waverly’s in full panic mode. Her mind is working overtime thinking up every single possibility that could await her at the homestead. Her stomach churns when she thinks about the Revenants and the very real threat they still pose to her entire family.

In an effort to quell her racing thoughts, she leans over and scans the radio stations, turning it up when she settles on a song she actually likes. It’s not that she’s actually _listening_ to the song, but the noise proves a good enough distraction as Warner sleeps soundly in his carseat.

Soon enough, they’re pulling Dixie into the driveway at the homestead, and Waverly’s rounding the truck to get Warner out, carseat and all. Wynonna is waiting on the porch when Waverly turns around with Warner in hand.

“Hey, everything okay?” Waverly asks, walking towards her sister.

“Yeah, come on in.” Wynonna says, guiding Waverly inside the house. “Everyone’s in the kitchen.”

At the mention of ‘everyone’, Waverly’s mind starts racing all over again. She’s trying to calm herself down when she enters the kitchen to see Willa, Doc, and Dolls occupying the small space.

Doc and Dolls light up the moment she enters the kitchen, but Waverly’s pretty sure that's because Wynonna is following right behind her. But only seconds later is she proven wrong- well, half wrong. Dolls walks up to her, leaning down to look at Warner in his carseat, still thankfully asleep.

The grin on his face has Waverly’s heart swelling; he’s going to be such a good dad. In fact, Waverly is pretty sure Doc and Dolls’ enthusiasm is going to be the one thing to pull Wynonna through the pregnancy.

“Hey there, little man.” Dolls whispers before straightening up and greeting Waverly with a hug, “And hey there to you, too. Glad you could join us.”

“Well, when my sister sends cryptic texts, you know I’m not too far away.” Waverly replies, smiling at Dolls, only to turn back and shoot Wynonna a look.

Wynonna returns one of her own as she walks over to Doc and leans against the kitchen counter.

“Okay, so someone better tell me what’s going on!” Waverly huffs as she places Warner’s carseat on the kitchen table and he whines a little as he wakes up, but doesn’t stir much beyond that. He just blinks up at Waverly, watching.

Waverly's attention is drawn back to the question at hand as Wynonna answers.

“Okay, well, you might want to sit down and quick because I don’t want these two knuckleheads stealing my thunder” Wynonna says, briefly glaring at Doc and then Dolls, who are now practically flanking her.

The kitchen is not big enough for all of this.

“I’m not exactly a big fan of surprises, unless you’re about to tell me you sent all the Revenants back to hell and broke the curse.” Waverly says, taking a seat at the table, keeping her eyes trained on Wynonna the whole time.

“Hey, I’ve gotten the number down some!” Wynonna argues.

“Actually, _I’ve_ been the one taking them down.” Willa pipes up, taking the seat across from Waverly.  

“It’s not my fault you’re like a dog with a bone.” Wynonna grumbles, finally taking the last seat at the table, leaving Doc and Dolls to stand.

“Okay, before you two go for each other’s throats, can you _please_ just tell me what’s going on?” Waverly breaks into the argument before it can really ramp up.

“I think it’d be easier if I just showed you.”  Wynonna says before pulling something out of her pocket and sliding them over the table, one to Willa and the other in front of Waverly.

Immediately, Waverly recognizes it as a sonogram. Waverly knew Wynonna had gone in for her first appointment, but she had no idea exactly how far along Wynonna was, mainly due to the fact that Wynonna didn’t seem to know herself.

She’s further along than Waverly expected, and it takes a few seconds for all of the information to click into place, but once it does, words just fall out of Waverly’s mouth. The same seems to happen to Willa as they start speaking at the same time.

“Why does your baby have two heads?!”

“Oh my god, you’re having twins?!”

Waverly looks up at Wynonna, and then she turns her attention to Willa, who still looks absolutely horrified

“Uh, Willa?” Waverly ventures, pulling her older sister out of her stupor.

“It’s twins, Willa. Not a monster.” Wynonna deadpans.

“I knew that.” Willa scoffs, her voice and face the furthest thing from convincing.

“Riiiight,” Waverly says before drawing her attention back to Wynonna, “Well, congratulations, you guys! This is exciting!”

“I know, right?” Wynonna says, grinning at Waverly before looking back at Doc and Dolls, who are grinning proudly behind her.

“Two babies at once; you think you can handle it?” Waverly asks, laughing at her own joke.

“There are three of us- four, if you count Willa,” Wynonna says as she and Waverly both look over at Willa, who looks like she does not want to be counted, at all, “And we all fight demons for a living. I’m sure we can handle two babies.”

“Uh, yeah, about that…” Willa cuts in and then trails off.

“What?” Wynonna asks.

“I didn’t want to bring it up like this, but Kevin asked me to move in with him and I said yes.” Willa admits, not making eye contact with anyone in the room.

No one says anything for a few seconds as the information just sits there between them all. Finally, Wynonna moves, leaning back in her chair, one arm now slung over the back as she motions to Doc and Dolls behind her.

“Boys, leave us.”

There is some shuffling from behind them and then it’s just Waverly, Wynonna, Willa, and Warner in the room, though Warner is still just observing what is happening while sucking on his hand.

Wynonna opens her mouth to say something, but doesn’t get very far as Dolls comes back into the kitchen and grabs the diaper bag off the floor next to Waverly. It’s just a second later that he is grabbing the carseat from the table.

“Come on, little man; this’ll probably get ugly.” Dolls mumbles to Warner as he walks out of the kitchen.

Waverly doesn’t try to argue because Dolls is right. If Waverly knows her sisters at all, this is going to blow up in a matter of seconds. It’s not as if Waverly is even on Willa’s side at this point, either.

“What do you mean you’re moving in with Kevin? You’ve been dating him for like five seconds!” Wynonna dives in.

“We’ve been dating for six months!” Willa corrects, defensive.

“Oh wow, six whole months, such an improvement! You don’t even _know_ him!” Wynonna yells.

Waverly is just letting this unfold because honestly, she doesn’t have a leg to stand on in this argument. It’s not like she and Nicole had been dating very long before they got married.

“At least he treats me like an adult! Everyone in this family still acts like I’m twelve years old! This is _my_ decision, Wynonna! Whether you like it or not, I’m leaving!” Willa yells, scraping her chair against the linoleum of the kitchen floor and storming out.

“...Well, that could have gone better.” Waverly ventures when she and Wynonna are left to their own devices in the kitchen.

“I can’t believe she’s being so fucking selfish! This isn’t just about her!” Wynonna grumbles.

Waverly doesn’t say anything at first, just lets Wynonna stew in her own emotions for a few seconds before she pipes up, “Yeah, but when is anything in this family about her anymore?”

Wynonna doesn’t say anything to that and Waverly doesn’t wait for an answer before she’s scraping her own chair back and taking the stairs two at a time to meet up with Willa.

Waverly knocks on the door of Willa’s room lightly before opening it. Willa didn’t exactly give her permission to come in, but she also hasn’t shoved the door closed on her face, so Waverly will take that as Willa at least tolerating the intrusion.

“Willa?” Waverly starts, only to have Willa come in, defensive.

“You’re not going to change my mind.” Willa snaps from her seat on the bed.

It’s a jarring sight: grown up Willa in what is basically a tomb of her past. Nothing in the room has changed, not even now. Waverly hadn’t even considered that maybe Willa’s room had still gone untouched after that night when she was looking for Peacemaker. But nothing has changed. Waverly is almost certain that if she opened the dresser drawers, she would find clothes to fit a twelve-year-old girl.

“I’m not trying to change your mind, I just want to understand.” Waverly says softly as she throws one of Willa’s plush animals out of the rocking chair in the corner of the room and pulls it up beside the bed.

“Look around you, Waverly!” Willa says, motioning to the entire room, “Nothing’s changed and no one has even asked if I want to change anything- Not only that, but you have a family of your own and now Wynonna is going to have her own, too. When do I get to live _my_ life?”

Waverly sucks in a breath and just lets Willa continue. There’s nothing she could say right now, even if she wanted to.

“I’m not twelve anymore and being here-” Willa cuts herself off, shifting uncomfortably on the bed, “This whole place, even the town, is just one big reminder of awful things. Of just being a tool for other people. First Daddy, then Bobo, then Lou, and even when I came back here, I was still just the heir to all of you.”

“Willa...I’m sorry.” Waverly says earnestly, reaching out for Willa’s hands.

“Kevin really is great, you know. I know you don’t like him- I know _no one_ really seems to like him-” Willa cuts herself off looking up at the ceiling and rolling her eyes with a dry laugh before returning her gaze to Waverly, “It’s not like anyone really likes me either-”

Waverly cuts in there.

“Willa, we love you!” Waverly argues, trying to convince her sister.

“You don’t even know me…” Willa says softly, gently pulling her hands out of Waverly’s grasp.

“We’re trying to.” Waverly counters, though she’s not sure if she even believes herself.

“Tell that to Wynonna.” Willa scoffs, looking up at Waverly.

“Tell me what?” Wynonna says from the doorway

Waverly looks back to see Wynonna standing in the doorway, leaning against the doorjamb. She’s pretty sure that Doc and Dolls had something to do with getting Wynonna up here to discuss everything, but Waverly’s just grateful she’s here, regardless.

“Okay Wynonna, this time everyone is going to listen.” Waverly says, getting up from her seat and sitting next to Willa on the bed, essentially offering Wynonna the chair.

“Okay, but if we’re all listening, then who is going to talk?” Wynonna says, lightening the mood.

“Oh my god, shut up, you loser.” Willa says, chucking a pillow at Wynonna.

Wynonna catches the pillow and just holds it in her lap, clearly not trusting them enough to put it back on the bed. Smartest option, really.

“So, I’m listening.” Wynonna says, fluffing the pillow in her lap.

“Look, the last thing I want is to leave you to deal with Revenants and the curse when you’re pregnant-” Willa starts in, only to be cut off.

“But?” Wynonna says, gaining a look from Waverly, “What?! There was totally a but coming!”

“...But,” Willa reluctantly starts

“See?!” Wynonna says, pointing at Willa before putting her hands up in a defensive gesture towards Waverly, “Okay, okay, I’m listening. Promise.”

“But, I’m not going to put my life on hold. I love Kevin a lot and he makes me genuinely happy. We could actually have a life together, a good one. I deserve good things, Wynonna.” Willa says defiantly, as if she is gearing up for another argument

Waverly looks from Willa to Wynonna, who is just sitting there, not saying anything. Thankfully, the torture of Wynonna’s silence is broken pretty quickly as she speaks while nodding along with her words, “Of course you do.”

“Maybe we can figure something out, get the Revenant count down to at least the single digits before I leave.”

“Oh, so Kevin’s not coming with a U-Haul in the morning, then?”

“Don’t be a dick, Wynonna.” Willa says, frowning.

“Alright, alright, we’ll figure out a plan soon. But right now, I need some cuddle time with our nephew. Who knows, it might get that stick out of your ass, Willa.” Wynonna says, getting up from her seat.

“How the hell are you in a relationship with two people?” Willa grumbles.

“My winning charm and sparkling personality, of course...Plus, have you seen my ass?” Wynonna says with a grin.

“Oh my god, Wynonna, this is why you should never talk, ever.” Waverly groans, following Wynonna out of the room.

Waverly stops at the top of the stairs, only to look back and see Willa still standing in the doorway of her old room. Wynonna stops a few steps down when Waverly grabs for her sister’s arm. They’re both standing there watching Willa have this small moment, only to turn and smile at both of them as she closes the bedroom door.

“I’m sure the babies will love the room once you redecorate.”

“Yeah, and this time there won’t be any switchblades in jewelry boxes.”

“Knowing your kids, Wynonna, there still will be.”

They make their way downstairs and Wynonna immediately goes for Warner, scooping him up in her arms as she takes him from Dolls.

“Hey there, Hugabug! How’re you?” Wynonna says, swaying from side to side, taking Warner’s hand in her own and kissing it a few times.

Warner gurgles in reply.

Waverly just smiles while she watches them and starts laughing when Wynonna practically shoves Warner into Willa’s arms. Willa holds Warner out away from her for a few seconds before he yawns and she gives in and cuddles him closer. Willa settles on the couch with Warner still protectively wrapped in her arms and Doc and Dolls take a seat on either side of her to look down and talk to him.

Waverly watches Wynonna walk into the kitchen and soon follows after. She finds Wynonna leaning against the sink, staring out the window.

“Hey, you okay?” Waverly asks, sliding her hand against Wynonna’s lower back as she passes her and settles beside her against the counter.

“You’ve moved out and now Willa...” Wynonna trails off with a sigh.

“You’ve got Doc and Dolls, Wynonna, and now those two little babies. You’re never going to be alone.” Waverly says, hand on Wynonna’s shoulder.

“It’s not the same as having my sisters here, though.” Wynonna says with another sigh as she looks over at Waverly.

“You’ve got me, Wynonna, you’ll _always_ have me. And Willa’s not going to leave forever. We’re still a family.” Waverly reassures her sister.

Warner starts crying from the living room, breaking up their Hallmark moment. Wynonna smiles at her, “Duty calls...hopefully not literally.”

* * *

 “Okay, so now we...what do we do, hm?” Waverly says, looking from her printouts over to Warner, who is sitting contentedly in his swing.

He gives no answers.

Waverly turns her attention back to the printouts and scans over them. There isn’t much more to the recipe now that she has fried the eggplant, which thankfully she only messed up once. But it all seems far too easy...though maybe that’s why Judy sounded so surprised when Waverly called asking for the recipe.

“Oh, this is just like lasagna!” Waverly exclaims, happy to have a handle on things now. “Did you hear that, Warner? Mommy’s got this!”

There is a happy gurgle in reply.

Once Waverly has assembled everything properly, checking her printouts for confirmation, the whole dish goes in the oven and the timer is set. Now, thankfully, she can bring her attention back to Warner, who has been having a very good day after visiting his aunts and uncles.

“What are you doin’ over there, hm?” Waverly says, walking over to Warner.

Warner has occupied himself with his binky as Waverly stops the swing and picks him up. She starts swaying a bit as she hums and then she is full-out dancing in the middle of the kitchen with her son in her arms as she starts to sing.

_“When I’m alone, I talk to myself_   
_Like I’m talking to you, talking to you_   
_I lie on the couch, and hum a little tune_   
_Hmm_   
_I’m singing to you.”_

Waverly keeps moving as she hums, only starting up the next verse when she catches Warner’s eyes. She runs a finger through his little tuft of hair and continues the song.

_“And I know it'll take a little more time_   
_To get through_   
_'Cuz I'm so, I'm so in love with you_   
_You know I can't control it, acting like such a fool  
And I'm so, so in love with you.”_

Waverly ends her tune with a few kisses to Warner’s cheek . She’s still swaying and humming with him in her arms when the applause starts up.

“W-what?” Waverly says, looking up to find Nicole in the kitchen doorway, staring at them both with a look of complete adoration.

“Hi, Honey; I’m home.” Nicole says softly, still smiling.

“I thought you were going to be late?” Waverly asks as Nicole pushes off the doorjamb and walks towards them.

“And miss this? Not a chance.” Nicole says before kissing Waverly and then taking Warner from her arms. “Hey, Bubba! Mama missed you sooo much.”

Waverly watches as Nicole proceeds to kiss Warner all over his face and she falls even more in love in that moment.

“Mmm, something smells good!” Nicole says, sniffing the air dramatically.

“Okay, that’s it, out of my kitchen!” Waverly says, shooing Nicole and Warner out of the room.

“Hey, it was my kitchen first!” Nicole playfully argues.

“You’re forgetting one cardinal rule; use it or lose it. It’s mine now!”

“Okay, well, this means I get control of the remote for the night and guess what we have unwatched episodes of on the DVR!” Nicole yells as she walks out to the living room.

“Do not let my son watch Westworld, Nicole Gabrielle Haught!” Waverly yells, hanging out of the doorway.

“I’ll cover his eyes during the bad parts!” Nicole promises with a laugh

“That whole _show_ is bad parts!” Waverly argues.

Nicole doesn’t reply but Waverly hears the show’s theme song come on anyway. Waverly sighs and busies herself setting the table before heading into the living room to see just what has happened on Nicole’s favorite show.

Of course, she walks in the moment a man throws a scalp at someone.

She walks over to Nicole’s chair, only to find Warner propped up sitting on Nicole’s lap, his back against her stomach. And true to her word, Nicole is covering Warner’s eyes.

“Okay, I think that’s enough for now.” Waverly says just before the timer goes off. “I have to go get that, but you are _not_ allowed in the kitchen!”

Waverly pulls the eggplant parmesan out of the oven and sets it on the counter to cool. She then makes her way back into the living room and over to Nicole and Warner.

“Dinner’s cooling so you go hop in the shower and get changed. Someone else needs his dinner now.” Waverly says as she picks Warner up.

“Sounds good to me.” Nicole says, getting up out of her chair and heading down the hallway towards their bedroom.

Waverly ends up settling down in Nicole’s chair to feed Warner. He fusses a bit but eventually latches on and a few minutes later, Nicole comes back into the living room, hair wet, with her t-shirt and sweatpants clinging to her in spots where she has yet to dry.

Warner finishes up and Waverly burps him before looking at Nicole, “I fed the baby, you think you can handle feeding the animals?”

“Pssh, I got this, Baby.” Nicole says with a wink.

“Oh god, I married a dork.” Waverly sighs.

“And had a kid with her, too!” Nicole adds as she fills Orie’s food bowl up.

At the sound of food hitting the bowl, Orie comes running into the living room from the backyard. Whiskey is following behind him, meowing loudly in protest of her still-empty food bowl.

“I know, I know, Babygirl, I’m coming! Just give me a sec.” Nicole says before turning her attention to Whiskey, grabbing her food bowl and filling it.

Whiskey wastes no time chomping down, making small noises as she eats.

“I think it’s time for _us_ to eat, finally.” Waverly says, handing Warner off to Nicole before she gets up from the recliner. “I’ll go get his swing from the kitchen.”

Soon enough, Warner is set up in his swing and Nicole is talking to him from her seat at the table as Waverly comes into the dining room, carrying the tray of eggplant parmesan.

“Wow, that looks great, Baby!” Nicole says as Waverly places the tray down at the table and sits down across from Nicole.

It doesn’t take long for them to dig into the meal. There’s some small conversation as they eat, but mostly they’re focused on the meal. Waverly can’t help but be distracted every time Nicole moans when she takes a bite.

It is insanely distracting and Nicole has no idea.

Waverly is currently trying to figure out just how to get them from enjoying their dinner to finally having sex again. There’s really no straight line that she can see, especially given that she’s not entirely sure Nicole will even _want_ to have sex with her. Sure, this is actually the longest they have ever gone without having sex, but that doesn’t mean Waverly is confident that Nicole will still want her.

Waverly is still thinking about how she can feasibly seduce her wife when the clank of Nicole’s utensils dropping onto her plate bring her back to the moment at hand.

“I think someone’s tired.” Nicole says, smirking at Warner, who is currently struggling to stay awake in his swing.

“I’ll go put him in the bassinet.” Waverly says as she stops the swing and picks Warner up.

He fusses a bit as she picks him up but quickly quiets down as he cuddles into her.

“I’ll go wash the dishes. That is, if you’re done?” Nicole asks.

Waverly looks over at Nicole and nods.

Soon enough, Waverly has made her way into their bedroom with a sleeping Warner in her arms. He settles into the bassinet easily enough and Waverly makes her way back out of the room as quietly as possible.

Thankfully, Orie has already run into his crate for the night, huffing after a yawn and Waverly doesn’t have to do much but close and lock the door on him. He doesn’t even stir.

Waverly finds Nicole settled back in her chair as she comes back into the living room. Unfortunately, Waverly still hasn’t thought of a way to get things going in the direction she wants them to go and apparently it’s showing on her face as Nicole breaks into her thoughts with a question.

“Hey, what's going on in that head of yours?” Nicole asks, her smile faltering with her concern.

Great. Now there's probably no hope of salvaging the night. Seducing her own wife shouldn’t be so damn difficult, and yet, here they are.

“Nothing, nothing,” Waverly tries to dismiss Nicole’s concerns, shaking her head, hoping the motion will also somehow clear her mind.

It doesn’t work.

“C’mere, Baby,” Nicole says, motioning for Waverly to move closer.

Waverly relents and as soon as she walks over to Nicole, she's pulled down into her lap. Waverly falls into place with a sigh as she lets her body sink into Nicole’s. A silence stretches between them and she fights the urge to ask Nicole just exactly what _she’s_ thinking.

“What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours?” Nicole asks before peppering small kisses to Waverly’s neck.

Usually the kisses would be a diversion tactic, something to throw her off-balance and make her forget. Waverly’s so used to affection being nothing more than a manipulation tactic- that’s exactly what it always was in the past.

But this is different. Nicole isn’t making a move beyond trying to comfort her, and while Waverly appreciates it, it just frustrates her further. She was supposed to be driving this whole encounter. She was supposed to have this on lock. Instead, she’s sitting in her wife's lap feeling pathetic.

“I wanted tonight to go differently.” Waverly admits, though she knows she’s being too vague to follow.

“It’s still early. What did you have in mind?” Nicole asks.

It’s something in the tone of Nicole’s voice that seems to change the mood between them. Waverly can’t quite put her finger on the exact thing that shifted, but something certainly has. Nicole is giving her an opening.

The issue is, Waverly’s not sure she can take it. She's not sure she can drive the moment anymore and mostly she just wants Nicole to take the reigns. However, Waverly's not sure how to vocalize all of that and opts instead to just answer the question.

“Well, there were a lot less clothes involved, for one.”

“Oh, really?” Nicole asks, not sounding too surprised by the revelation. “Well, I’m sure we can do something about that.” She says as her hands slide underneath the hem of Waverly’s t-shirt.

“You think so?” Waverly hums as Nicole’s hands run up her ribs, slowly lifting her shirt up.

“Absolutely.”  Nicole replies, now pulling Waverly’s shirt off entirely.

It takes a few seconds for her shirt to come off, but once it does, Nicole wastes no time. Soon they’re kissing and Waverly doesn’t want that to stop, but of course it does. Nicole pulls back the slightest bit, speaking in a soft whisper.

“I don’t think we’ve lost nearly enough clothes, do you?”

“You haven’t even taken anything off.” Waverly points out, moving so she's now straddling Nicole’s lap.

“We should really fix that.”

Waverly doesn’t get any time to answer before they are kissing again and she is blindly tugging at Nicole's shirt, trying to pull it off. Finally, she relents to actually pulling away enough from Nicole so that she can actually strip her of her shirt.

It’s after Waverly has flung Nicole’s shirt into a corner of the room that Waverly notices the look on her wife’s face.

“What? What are you looking at?” Waverly can't help but ask, laughing uncomfortably and feeling far too exposed all of a sudden.

Nicole just stares at her for a few seconds and Waverly briefly considers repeating herself before Nicole manages to respond.

“You. I’m looking at you, Waverly. You are absolutely beautiful.” Nicole says before grinning and flashing dimples.

“You’re crazy.” Waverly says with another awkward laugh, staring down at herself.

“No, I’m not. You’re stunning.” Nicole answers, voice earnest and soft.

“Ha, yeah right.” Waverly says, still unable to draw her eyes back up to meet Nicole’s gaze.

She’s afraid of what she might find in Nicole’s eyes. There is a part of her thst’s terrified she’ll see through the flattery and find that Nicole is just lying to her. But really, she's just afraid of finding nothing but the truth in Nicole’s eyes. Somehow the thought that Nicole can still find her attractive, even now, is more terrifying than anything else.

Somehow this was _Waverly’s_ idea.

“You are. Baby, look at me.” Nicole says, tipping Waverly’s face up enough to force eye contact as she continues, “You are gorgeous. Nothing will ever make me think differently, but if you don’t want to do this, that’s fine. We can wait.”

There is nothing Waverly can say to that, so she opts to forgo words and kiss Nicole again. The kiss is rougher than the first few; more impatient. Waverly is tired of waiting. She wants Nicole and apparently, Nicole still wants her; so what’s the point in waiting anymore?

Nicole returns the kiss, hands sliding up Waverly’s ribs before wrapping around Waverly’s back and unhooking her bra. Waverly’s just thankful Nicole didn’t bother to put a bra on after her shower.

Waverly lets her bra fall between them so now it’s just sitting in Nicole’s lap for the time being. Waverly grinds her hips into Nicole as she kisses her again. Nicole moans as Waverly keeps on grinding her hips into hers and soon enough, Nicole is pivoting her body weight onto one arm as she tries to push them both up from the recliner, her other arm with a death grip around Waverly’s waist.

Somehow, Waverly’s still not entirely sure how, they’ve managed to get up off of the recliner. She briefly saw her bra fall onto the floor as Nicole stood up, but they’re kissing again and Waverly doesn’t really care.

“Oh god, I want you so bad.” Waverly moans into Nicole’s mouth, snaking her arm between them as she rubs Nicole’s erection.

“Fuck!” Nicole seethes as she stumbles her way to their bedroom.

Waverly pulls her hand back up to hook back around Nicole’s neck and pull herself up the slightest bit. She rolls her hips into Nicole again, and then they’re crossing the threshold into their bedroom. It doesn’t take long for Nicole to drop Waverly on the bed, folding herself down over the top of Waverly in the process.

“You are so fucking sexy.” Nicole breathes into Waverly’s mouth before she kisses her again.

Waverly whines wordlessly as she tries sloppily to pull Nicole’s sweatpants down. She doesn’t make it very far down Nicole’s hips before Nicole stops her, pulling back.

“No, this is about you, Baby.” Nicole says, staring down at Waverly, her erection stretching the fabric of her sweatpants.

“But I want _you_.” Waverly halfheartedly argues.

“I know.” Nicole says with a small laugh before she’s on top of Waverly again, hands wandering to the button of Waverly’s jeans.

“Fuck me!” Waverly pleads as she impatiently waits for Nicole to remove her pants.

Thankfully, it doesn’t take Nicole very long to get Waverly’s pants undone. Waverly lifts her hips to help Nicole undress her, shimmying as best she can out of her jeans.

“Now that was super sexy, wasn’t it?” Waverly asks with a laugh before pulling Nicole in for a kiss.

“Oh, you bet.” Nicole replies before kissing Waverly.

Waverly closes her eyes as Nicole works her mouth down her body, kissing at her chest but not focusing too long there. Waverly is silently grateful that Nicole has moved down her body. She’s not sure she really wants her breasts played with when she’s still breastfeeding. At least not by Nicole’s mouth. As it stands, Nicole is kissing a trail down Waverly’s stomach, and Waverly squirms impatiently.

But Waverly can’t bring herself to open her eyes and watch Nicole above her; not yet. This is more a balancing act than Waverly first anticipated, but Nicole is doing so well so far and soon enough, Nicole’s mouth is on Waverly’s panties, licking and kissing at the thin fabric. Waverly can’t help but whine and lift her hips to gain a bit more contact.

“Stop teasing!” Waverly whispers, finally opening her eyes to look down at Nicole.

Waverly’s not sure what she was so afraid of just a second ago. The moment her eyes meet Nicole’s, that is all she can even focus on. Well, that and the way Nicole keeps eye contact as her tongue works over Waverly’s clit through the fabric of her panties.

Waverly bites her lower lip as she tries to move her hips up to meet Nicole’s mouth more forcefully, but Nicole pulls back and Waverly whines at the loss of contact, “Please?”

Waverly is not above begging, if that will get her what she wants sooner.

“Well, since you said please…” Nicole trails off before pulling Waverly’s panties down.

Waverly kicks of her panties as they fall around her ankles and isn’t quite prepared for Nicole’s mouth to immediately be on her, but she really should have been.

Waverly sucks in a breath at the contact as Nicole licks a line up to her clit, circling her tongue there before sucking on it. At the same time, Nicole slides two fingers inside of Waverly and all she can do is gasp at the contact and it doesn’t take long for Nicole to find her g-spot.

Waverly’s back is arched as Nicole keeps licking and sucking at her clit while also pressing into her g-spot. Her first orgasm takes them both by surprise with how quickly it happens but Nicole doesn’t stop; not until Waverly is pulling at her, trying to pull her back up her body.

Nicole finally pulls up from between Waverly’s legs, her fingers sliding out of Waverly. Immediately, Waverly grabs for Nicole’s hand, bringing Nicole’s fingers up to her mouth and they keep eye contact the entire time that Waverly sucks Nicole’s fingers clean.

“Jesus Christ, you are so fucking sexy, Baby.” Nicole says as Waverly drops her hand and she leans into her, kissing Waverly hard on the mouth.

Waverly’s hands wander down Nicole’s back and slide under the waistband of Nicole’s sweatpants. Almost immediately, Waverly realizes Nicole isn’t wearing panties, and Waverly just wants her even more.

“Are you going to fuck me now?” Waverly asks, voice hoarse.

“I’m going to give you what you deserve.” Nicole says before kissing Waverly again and then moving to her neck, sucking on her pulse point.

As Nicole sucks on Waverly’s neck, her hand wanders down Waverly’s body, between her thighs. Waverly gasps as Nicole’s fingers find her clit. She starts out slow, teasing with just the right amount of pressure until she speeds up unexpectedly, and Waverly is raking her nails across Nicole’s back because she just has to _do_ something. There is so much going on in her body right now. A mix of emotions she wasn’t prepared for. She and Nicole aren’t just having sex, Nicole is practically _worshiping_ her. All of the attention is on her, and Waverly could never argue; not when it feels this good.

Waverly’s back arches as she gets closer and closer to another orgasm, but that’s when Nicole slows down. A strangled sound falls out of Waverly’s mouth as her body registers the denial. She’s at Nicole’s mercy, and it seems Nicole has little of that to give as she speeds up again, this time slowly, methodically.

“What are you doing?” Waverly sighs.

“Giving you what you deserve, Baby. You deserve to feel good, don’t you?” Nicole asks, her voice saccharine

Waverly gasps before nodding wordlessly as Nicole picks up her pace.

“You deserve to feel good for as long as you can.” Nicole states before kissing Waverly again.

Nicole brings her to the edge a few more times before Waverly finds her voice again.

“Please, please, please just let me come!” Waverly’s begging, bucking her hips up into Nicole’s hand.

Finally, Nicole gives in and Waverly drops over that edge, her body shaking with her orgasm. She has enough forethought to grab the nearest pillow to muffle her screams as her back arches and every nerve ending in her body is on high alert as she continues to shakes from her orgasm.

“See? Wasn’t that worth waiting for?” Nicole pants before kissing Waverly.

Waverly can’t exactly process Nicole’s words at first, but once everything clicks, Waverly is nodding in agreement. Soon Nicole moves so that she’s above Waverly again, her body pressing into Waverly’s.

She can’t help but moan as Nicole thrusts, sliding her cock between her folds and over her clit. It feels so fucking good that Waverly just wants Nicole inside of her already. But before Waverly knows it, though, she’s speaking.

“Condom! You- you need a condom.” Waverly huffs, thankful that at least some higher part of her brain is still functioning.

“Yeah, I know, Baby.” Nicole says, leaning down to kiss Waverly quickly before she pulls back and gets off of the bed entirely.

It thankfully doesn’t take too long for Nicole to come back to bed, condom properly in place and sweatpants abandoned on the bedroom floor. Waverly pulls her down for another kiss and Nicole thrusts her hips, sliding over Waverly again. Waverly doesn’t want to wait any longer and tries to position herself correctly before Nicole pulls back enough to actually position the both of them.

Unfortunately for Waverly, Nicole doesn’t just give in to her demands. Instead, she keeps teasing, sliding her cock between her folds at a pace that just makes Waverly more impatient.

“Would you just fuck me already?!” Waverly whines, trying to pull Nicole closer

“I’m sorry, did you think you were in control?” Nicole growls, nipping at Waverly’s bottom lip.

Waverly huffs in frustration as Nicole keeps her slow pace, still not entering her. Finally, Waverly becomes too impatient, treading that line for far too long. Her hand snakes down between them, grabbing Nicole’s cock, trying to take the control back.

“What do you think you’re doing?” Nicole says, pulling back so that she’s sitting on her knees, breaking the contact between them.

“Baby, I need you inside of me, _please_.” Waverly begs, pulling Nicole back towards her with her legs.

“Ooh, I like it when you beg,” Nicole purrs, moving back on top of Waverly, “Do it again.” She finishes her demand, licking her lips.

This just might kill Waverly; this overwhelming need building up inside of her. This has gone from an awkward attempt at seduction on her part, to Nicole completely unraveling her in a matter of what feels like seconds. She’s not sure if she’s just that transparent, or if Nicole is just that good, but the details don’t really matter at the moment, so long as Nicole doesn’t stop.

“I need you to fill me up, Baby. I need your cock inside me, please. I need you, only you. Fuck me. _Please_.” Waverly pleads, hoping that she has fulfilled Nicole’s demand.

“Such a good girl.” Nicole hums before kissing her gently, the action jarring.

And then Nicole finally relents, though even the act of entering Waverly is painfully slow. Waverly writhes, gripping at the sheets until finally Nicole is balls-deep inside of her. Nicole sighs contentedly as she pauses for a second before pulling back, rolling her hips into Waverly slowly.

“You feel so fucking good, Baby.” Nicole says as she thrusts into Waverly, “I’ve thought about this a lot, you know.”

“You have?” Waverly pants, pulling Nicole down for a kiss that still hasn’t happened.

“Yeah,” Nicole starts before continuing, “You know how hard it’s been all these weeks being unable to touch you?”

Waverly doesn’t answer before Nicole keeps going, thrusting a bit faster now.

“I still think about you when I touch myself. Only you.”

“Oh yeah, Baby? What do you think about?” Waverly asks, gasping as Nicole runs her thumb over her clit.

“Making sure you know just who owns this sweet little cunt of yours. This cunt that just wants my cock. You want it, don’t you? You _need_ it. Need me to fill you up so good, Baby.”

“Oh god, please, fuck me, Baby! Don’t stop!” Waverly moans as Nicole speeds up, her rhythm becoming more frantic.

“Not gonna stop, not even when you come. Gonna fuck your through it just like you want.”

Nicole’s thumb rubs fast circles over Waverly’s clit, and then Waverly’s coming, her back arching as Nicole pulls her closer. Nicole doesn’t stop though, continuing to thrust hard and deep. And now Waverly’s conflicted because there is a part of her that wants this to end, but there is another part that _really_ doesn’t.

Nicole just keeps pounding into her, hitting her g-spot every now and again and Waverly is hit with the most delicious aftershocks wracking her body. Eventually, Nicole does slow down again and Waverly is grateful for the small reprieve, but things don’t actually stop and soon enough, Nicole is speeding up again, her pace becoming frantic and broken.

“Oh god, I’m gonna come!” Nicole grunts, slamming into Waverly.

“Yeah? You’re close, Baby?” Waverly asks.

“Yeah, I’m gonna come. Oh god, fuck!” Nicole groans as she gives one last deep thrust into Waverly.

They’re both panting as Nicole stills inside of her and Waverly’s taken off guard as Nicole pulls back, only to thrust forward again.

“What are you doing?” Waverly gasps, trying to get her bearings.

“I told you, this was about you.” Nicole says as she continues to roll her hips into Waverly.

Nicole keeps her pace until Waverly is screaming one last orgasm into her mouth. Only then do things seem to finally slow to a halt and Waverly feels Nicole slip out of her, already gone half-soft at this point.  

Waverly doesn’t move from her spot on the bed, in fact she _can’t_ exactly move at this point. Instead, she just lies there and watches as Nicole stands up from the bed.

“You are amazing.” Waverly says as she watches Nicole remove the condom, tie it off, and then walk over to the bathroom to throw it away.

Nicole grabs her sweatpants from the floor and pulls them on before she climbs back into bed and curls up against Waverly, kissing her collarbone before she works her way up to Waverly’s lips.

“Glad you think so.” Nicole says, pulling back from Waverly.

“Mm, don’t fall asleep on me, Baby.” Waverly hums, hand carding through Nicole’s hair.

“I’m still awake.” Nicole says, though she sounds about as exhausted as Waverly feels.

There’s more they need to discuss. Things that Waverly didn’t manage to bring up at diner, in part because of nerves, and in an effort to keep the mood light so they could have this moment right here and the moments just before.

“Good, because there’s some stuff I wanted to talk to you about.” Waverly says, shifting to move up the bed and sit against the headboard and Nicole reluctantly moves, too but she is still curled up against Waverly, and it’s not like she minds.

“What did you have in mind?” Nicole asks.

Waverly hums in reply, briefly forgetting that she did bring up the prospect of a conversation. Soon enough, though the information comes flooding back and she’s trying to figure out just how to go about telling Nicole about all of the developments of the day.

It’s not an easy subject to broach, mainly because Waverly is a bit fearful for Nicole’s reactions to the conclusions Waverly has come to so far. But now is as good a time as any to bring it all up, she supposes. It’s not like she’s physically capable of leaving the bed at this point, anyway.

But just as Waverly opens her mouth to start talking, Warner starts crying from his bassinet and Waverly can’t help but smile at the development; it just seems so fitting to be cut off one more time today. Thankfully, Nicole gets up out of bed wordlessly and picks Warner up, handing him to Waverly.

“I think someone’s hungry again. I checked and he’s not wet.” Nicole says.

“Is that right, hm? Are you hungry again, Sweetheart?” Waverly asks, trying to soothe her son, who is currently very unhappy.

He latches on quick enough and Waverly briefly considers bringing everything up now, but it feels a bit awkward to bring up the things she needs to when she is currently nursing Warner. So, she chickens out, yet again.

By the time Warner has finished nursing, he _does_ need a diaper change, and Waverly hands him to Nicole.

“You get diaper duty.” Waverly says as Nicole takes Warner from her.

Nicole changes Warner’s diaper quickly and then brings him back into the bedroom and he’s fully awake, Waverly already knows. He ends up between them on the bed, happily sucking on the binky Nicole gave him upon their reentry into the bedroom.

Waverly’s rubbing Warner’s stomach when she finally broaches the subjects she had been avoiding.

Nicole takes the news of Wynonna’s twins better than expected, and at first seems far too excited by the prospect of Willa leaving Purgatory. But then her expression darkens as she asks about Revenants, and what exactly that means for all of them. Waverly does her best to explain Willa’s reasoning and Nicole seems sympathetic, but still concerned.

“I was actually thinking I had a sort of solution to all of that, though. The Revenants and everything. I know we were talking about moving before, and I really do think we should, but- and hear me out, okay? We could move onto the homestead land.”

Nicole doesn’t say anything and Waverly _knows_ she’s awake- they’re looking right at each other.

“Nicole, did you hear me?” Waverly asks, confused.

“Yeah, I just assume you have more to say. That can’t be your whole pitch.” Nicole says, blinking sleepily at Waverly.

“I, um, no, it’s not. We don’t have to live _at_ the homestead- there’s no way all of us could even fit in that small house. I mean, you told me before that Hayley is an architect, right? We could build our own house on the land- there are ten acres there. We could have exactly what we want, we would have enough distance to not feel claustrophobic, and it would be a lot cheaper than buying a place in Denver.” Waverly finishes, waiting for a reaction to at least all of that.

“Hayley’s retired.” Is all Nicole has to say, apparently.

“Yeah, but you were saying she’s always trying to break back into the business, right? We could give her the start she needs...besides, it’s safer there, Nicole. We wouldn’t have to uproot our entire lives to feel safe. You could still work at the same station, I wouldn’t have to sell the bar, I could be here for Wynonna during her pregnancy and after, and we could know for a _fact_ that no Revenant would ever come near our home again. It’s win-win, no matter how you look at it.” Waverly finally finishes, her heart pounding in her chest as she waits for Nicole’s reply.

“You know my parents are going to be _so pissed_ we’re not moving to Denver, right?” Nicole finally says after a considerable pause.

“Oh my god, so you’ll really do this?” Waverly asks, surprised there wasn’t more of a fight from her wife.

“You said yourself that it’s win-win. I can’t really see much of a downside. I mean, maybe all of that will change in the morning when I’m not exhausted. But for now, it sounds like our best option, to be honest.” Nicole says, looking down at Warner and then back up at Waverly.

Waverly can’t help but lean over and kiss Nicole, “Thank you. Thank you so much for doing this for us- for agreeing to this.”

“We’re supposed to do whatever we can for family. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make all of us happy, Waverly. I’m not sure about all the logistics of this, but it sounds like a good plan, at least in theory.”

Waverly nods along with Nicole, “I know, we’ll figure it out. First thing in the morning, I’ll start researching everything we have to do in order to get this right. You won’t regret this, I promise.”

Nicole smiles, looking at Waverly the same way she was looking at her earlier, completely full of adoration. “We’ll all be safe. Of course I won’t regret it.”

Waverly kisses Nicole again before gently picking up Warner, who had fallen asleep somewhere in all of the explanations. He doesn’t stir once when she places him back in his bassinet and she silently thanks god for small miracles.

“We could watch him run around and play without worrying about Revenants.” Waverly says, curling back up against Nicole.

“I’m sure they’ll all be gone by the time he’s walking.” Nicole mumbles, exhausted.

“Yeah, but if they aren’t, he’ll still be safe...This is going to be so good, you’ll see.” Waverly says, smiling as she cuddles closer to Nicole.

Nicole hums her wordless acknowledgement before they both fall asleep, Waverly finally feeling content for the first time in a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh and PSA this is NOT how one practices safe sex


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A day in the life of Nicole Haught

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the wait on this one. I can't even reassure you that this one is a long chapter either but hey, it's at least here, right?
> 
> Life got in the way and the strict schedule I had myself on for Little Heartbeat was actually detrimental to my emotional well being.
> 
> I am going to try to make updates faster than this though, just try to bear with me

Nicole isn’t really awake when Warner starts fussing. She’s only half conscious when the fussing becomes full-on crying, which is why she rolls over and tries to wake Waverly.

“Baby...the baby.” Is all Nicole manages to mumble, her face buried in her pillow as she blindly reaches out for Waverly.

“I got him last time.” Waverly replies with a yawn.

Nicole doesn’t even open her eyes, she just lets her hand rest on whatever part of Waverly she managed to grab and just lies there, unable to will herself to get up. She’s just so damn tired.

“Yeah, but…you have the boobs.” Nicole mutters, still not fully conscious.

“ _What_? You have boobs too, Nicole.”

“Yeah, but yours...work.” Nicole attempts to clarify.

“That doesn’t-” Waverly stops there, cut off by a loud screech from Warner.

Nicole can’t be one hundred percent sure, but she’s almost certain Waverly is muttering something about ‘gently smothering’ her as she refocuses and gets up out of bed to tend to Warner.

“Good morning, Mister Man!” Waverly coos.

That’s the last thing Nicole hears before she is shaken awake by one very unamused Waverly. She rolls over towards Waverly and Warner, looking up at them from the bed.

Waverly sighs as she bounces Warner, “Okay, now that you’re _actually_ awake, I need you to get him dressed real quick. I’m gonna just hop in the shower. It shouldn’t take long. There are clean clothes in the nursery.”

Nicole just sleepily blinks up at her wife, slowly processing everything she has just said. She’s not given much time, though as Waverly motions for her to sit up and then hands Warner off before she heads into the bathroom.

“Hey there, Bud. Not much of a morning person, are you?” Nicole continues at Warner’s blank stare, “Yeah, me neither.”

Nicole isn’t exactly proud of what she does next, but it’s happening all the same. She places Warner down on the bed beside her and snuggles up to him, her hand on his tummy.

“How ‘bout five more minutes? Mommy shouldn't mind.” Nicole says softly as she drifts back to sleep.

She was wrong.

A sopping wet, annoyed Waverly dripping water on the hardwood floor in nothing more than a towel glaring down at her is proof enough of that as Nicole is jostled awake yet again.

“Nicole?! You fell asleep again?” Waverly huffs, edging towards the bed, mad now.

“It wasn’t that long, right?” Nicole asks, trying to find her bearings as she sits up.

Warner starts crying again and Nicole scoops him up, trying to soothe him. It’s not exactly working, but she still has to try.

“You’re gonna be late, you have maybe fifteen minutes to get ready _and_ get down to the station.” Waverly says as she walks back into the bathroom, leaving the door open as she makes her way back in.

“Shit!” Nicole seethes as she manages to get out of bed while still holding a crying and fussy Warner. “I can make it if I just-” Nicole cuts herself off, moving towards the dresser and then backtracking, trying to figure out just how to play this.

She knows Waverly is still preoccupied, trying to at least get dried off, but it’s not like Nicole can exactly put Warner down while he’s upset. She checks his diaper and he doesn’t need to be changed.

“Baby? Could you-?” Nicole calls into the bathroom.

Waverly walks back into the bedroom, wearing an old pair of Nicole’s sweatpants and pulling on a t-shirt. Nicole tries desperately (and fails) to not notice how Waverly’s shirt still clings to her skin in the spots she couldn’t dry off completely.

“Give him here. He’s probably hungry.” Waverly says, motioning for Warner.

“Thanks.” Nicole says, kissing Waverly on the cheek quickly before heading to the closet to get her uniform out.

“I’m not doing it for you.” Waverly says, looking from Nicole down to Warner as she walks out of the room, but Nicole’s fairly certain she saw a hint of a smile as Waverly passed.

As soon as Nicole is alone in the room, Orie starts barking up a storm in the living room. Couple that with Warner’s crying and it doesn’t take long for Whiskey to bolt into the bedroom, her favorite hiding spot.

“Hey there, Babygirl.” Nicole says as Whiskey shoots past her and jumps on the bed.

Whiskey trills as she settles down on the bed and watches Nicole intently.

“You know, at some point he’s going to follow you in here.” Nicole muses, walking over to the dresser and pulling out a pair of panties.

She tugs her sweatpants off and lets them fall to the floor, kicking them just a bit away from her as she redresses. It doesn’t take too long to at least get mostly clothed, hurrying as she goes. In fact, the few things that end up taking the longest are brushing her teeth and doing her hair- though the braid she sports at work has become muscle memory at this point.

Nicole is buckling her belt as she walks out into the kitchen to say goodbye to Waverly and Warner.

“He doing better now?” She asks before taking Warner from Waverly.

“He just finished his bottle but I haven’t burped him yet.” Waverly warns.

“Oh, that’s okay; right, Bubba Bear? Mama can take care of that.” Nicole coos as she places Warner against her shoulder and pats his back.

She immediately regrets the decision as Warner burps and then instantly spits up on her shoulder- she knows the sound, there’s no mistaking it.

“Please tell me that what just happened didn’t actually happen.” Nicole asks, not moving Warner from her shoulder, afraid to face reality.

“‘Fraid so.” Waverly says, taking Warner from Nicole and eying the damage. “Wet a dish towel and it should come out.”

Nicole sighs and starts doing as instructed, wiping at the stain on her uniform. It doesn’t take long for Waverly to pipe up,

“Blot, don’t wipe.”

“What?” Nicole asks, looking up from the stain.

“ _Blot_.” Waverly repeats herself.

“Okay, you can say that over and over again, but I still don’t know what you mean.” Nicole snipes, getting more agitated before glancing at the clock on the stove. “Shit! I gotta go!”

Nicole throws the damp towel over the sink and makes her way out of the kitchen, skirting past Waverly and Warner. Orie trots behind, barking after her, which causes Warner to start fussing.

Nicole turns back towards the chaos and pushes Orie away, “No, Orie, you’re not going with me. Come on, you know that.”

Orie looks briefly hurt but bounces back relatively quickly before a loud screech from Warner has him running towards the couch.

“I’m sorry, Baby, I gotta go. You two try to have a good day. I’ll see you later.” Nicole says, looking at Waverly and Warner before heading out the door.

“Wait, you forgot to give me my goodbye kiss.” Waverly calls to Nicole from the porch.

Nicole turns around and jogs the short distance back before giving Waverly her kiss goodbye, “How could I forget something like that?” Nicole says, smiling.

“Well, don’t just stand there and make moon eyes at me all day, Officer. Get going.” Waverly says, trying to calm the still-crying Warner.

Nicole gives Warner a kiss on the top of his head, “You be a good boy for your Mommy today, Little Man.”

It takes everything in Nicole to tear herself away from her little family, especially with Warner’s cries getting louder as she heads to the cruiser. Soon enough, though, she’s headed to the station. She checks the clock on the dash before she turns the engine off and gets out of the car and luckily she’s only ten minutes late, but she’s still not looking forward to Nedley’s reaction.

She manages to slink in unnoticed, but barely manages to get to her desk before she hears Nedley’s voice. She looks over to see Nedley walking out of his office, trailed by a very attractive new officer.

“Oh, Haught, glad you could finally join us.” Nedley says as he and the new officer make their way towards Nicole’s desk.

“Sorry, Sir. I, uh- things were a little crazy at home this morning.” Nicole fumbles over her excuse.

“You still know how to set an alarm, right?” Nedley pointedly asks.

Nicole doesn’t answer, she just nods her head and that seems to be enough. Nicole can’t help but glance from him over at the new officer because it’s not often that they get anyone new. In fact, Nicole was fairly certain she would hold the title of rookie of the station for the rest of her career, no matter how long she stayed.

But now there’s someone else to hopefully take that title away from her.

Nedley clears his throat and draws Nicole’s attention back to him, “Haught, I want you to meet your new partner, Summer Bishop.” He then turns to Summer, “Bishop, this is Nicole Haught. She’ll make sure you don’t die on your first day.”

Nicole laughs at that, and she can see Summer struggle for a few seconds before laughing along, visibly uncomfortable at the joke.

“Oh, don’t look so nervous, Bishop; you shouldn’t have any trouble. I trust you remember the layout here, right?”

At that, Nicole looks towards Summer, who nods with her reply.

“Yes, Sir. Can’t really forget much about Purgatory.”

“Good. Now, don’t shoot your foot off and we should all have a decent day.” Nedley says with a laugh before turning back to Nicole, “You got this, Haught?”

“I’m sure I can figure it out, Sir.” Nicole says with a nod.

“Uh-huh.” Nedley says before motioning to his own shoulder while looking at Nicole’s uniform, “What happened there?”

“Oh, uh…” Nicole trails off, glancing at her shoulder before looking back up at Nedley, “It’s uh, baby puke, Sir. I didn’t exactly have time to change this morning.”

Nedley doesn’t immediately say anything, he’s just looking Nicole over as if considering his next words. First he grunts, and then, “Well, don’t let it happen again, Haught. We have an image to maintain, here.”

“Yes, Sir.” Nicole replies, thankful the exchange wasn’t anything worse.

Nedley turns to leave and then it’s just her and Summer standing at Nicole’s desk.

“Well, did he give you the grand tour of this place?” Nicole asks, trying to break the ice somehow.

“Oh, yeah, he did. Not that I really needed it.” Summer says with a smile. “Sorry, I don’t think it was mentioned. I’m actually _from_ Purgatory.”

“Really? Well, it’s gotta be nice to be back in town.” Nicole says, smiling back at Summer.

“Yeah, it has its perks, alright.” Summer says, breaking eye contact and looking over Nicole’s desk.

Just as Nicole is about to try to strike up a bit more conversation, Nedley opens the door to his office and barks out orders. “Haught, Bishop, you two are on patrol in town today!”

“Yes, Sir!” Nicole and Summer answer in unison.

They look at one another at that, hearing Nedley groan in reaction. Briefly, Nicole wonders if he’s already regretting putting them together on patrol, but it’s not like much can be done about it now.

Soon enough they’re in the cruiser, driving down main street.

Nicole has always enjoyed patrol duty. Most of the time, there isn’t much action, but she has always prefered it to desk work, and every call since learning about the Revenants has always set her a little more on edge. Things can’t exactly be too sleepy in this town when there are demons running around. Though honestly, Nicole hasn’t seen much activity from them since the big showdown in the trailer park. It’s not that they killed all of them- Peacemaker only has so many rounds in it, even if it is a magical gun- but the Revenants have been making themselves scarce ever since Waverly and the rest of them took down as many as possible.

A shiver goes up Nicole’s spine at the memory. Pulling Waverly from that trailer kicking and screaming was one of the hardest things she has ever had to do in her life, especially seeing the look in Waverly’s eyes as everything came crashing down on her. That was one of the worst nights of their lives to date and they haven’t actually talked about it since. When they got Warner back, things seemed to settle to some degree.

New lines had been drawn between the two of them. They only tread so far into certain subjects, and honestly, Nicole’s not even sure what she would say if she did try to broach the subject again. All she really wants to do is forget it all. Warner is back with them and safe. Soon, they’re going to guarantee his safety. Everything is finally falling into place and Nicole actually feels like she can breathe properly, for once.

“So, you mentioned back there that you have a baby?” Summer asks, bringing Nicole back to reality.

“Oh, yep, a little boy. He’s about six weeks old.” Nicole says proudly.

“It’s got to be awful leaving him while you go to work. But I gotta say, you look fantastic for just having had a baby.” Summer says, looking over at Nicole as they continue their drive through town.

“Oh! No, I uh- I didn’t give birth to him. My, um-” Nicole says, looking back at the road and taking a small breath in before continuing, “-my wife did.” She finally clarifies, still unable to shake the hesitation from her voice.

Coming out to people is still a bit unnerving, especially in a small town like this. Nicole honestly wasn’t sure how the locals would take to her, but honestly, most took it fine. They just weren’t too keen on her being from _Denver,_ of all things. But Summer is a different story. Nicole knows she needs to get these sorts of details out of the way if they’re going to be partners and she can’t exactly hide her life. She doesn’t _want_ to; not when her family makes her so happy.

“So, you’re married?” Summer asks without missing a beat.

“Yeah, this is them.” Nicole says, pulling a picture from the sun visor and handing it over to Summer.

“Oh my god, you’re married to Waverly Earp?!” Summer asks, voice rising in pitch.

“Well, she’s Waverly _Haught_ , now. But yeah.” Nicole says with a wide grin.

“I actually ran into her the other day; I just thought she married Champ!” Summer practically squeals.

Nicole can’t pretend like she’s not taking some sort of satisfaction out of Summer’s reaction, but it’s also a relief knowing that there won’t be any sort of tension between them now. Nicole knows she can safely be honest and it’s a comforting feeling.

“What? No, nothing like that. She dropped him like a sack of potatoes not too long after I got into town.” Nicole admits, smug, “I mean, she didn’t leave him _for_ me, of course.”

“Wow, still can’t wrap my head around Waverly Earp not being with Champ “Party” Hardy.” They exchange a look at the nickname and Summer acknowledges it with an, “I know, believe me. But those two were always together back in high school- couldn’t drag them apart for anything, not even air most of the time!” Summer says with a laugh, “Honestly, I’m surprised she didn’t correct me that day when I assumed you were Champ calling her.”

“What do you mean?” Nicole asks, focusing on the road ahead of them.

“Well, I mean, she got a call and flashed her ring. I told her to say hi to the hubby for me and I’m pretty sure I even said something about her finally settling down with Champ…” Summer trails off.

Nicole doesn’t say anything in reply. She’s not sure what she _can_ say. She didn't even know about Summer until today but apparently Summer had a run in with Waverly just the other day. One that Waverly never cared to mention.

“Well, maybe she was just in a hurry. I did sort of catch her near the registers, after all!” Summer chirps with a shrug.

“Yeah, that must be it…” Nicole trails off in thought.

Logically, she knows there is nothing to be concerned about but that doesn’t stop this unwelcome ache in her chest.

Champ Hardy is not a threat. Nicole knows for a _fact_ that he is not a threat and never has been. But the idea that Waverly didn’t correct Summer, the thought that she would rather have her old high school friend think she was married to Champ, of all people, instead of her?

 _That_ is gnawing away at her.

Nicole is broken out of her thoughts as the radio crackles to life as they get a call about a drunk and disorderly and Nicole _really_ hopes she heard wrong about a snowmobile being involved.

“On it!” She replies into the radio and then hooks it back onto the dashboard. “I guess you might get to see a little action today after all, Bishop...or at least what passes for action here in town.”

It doesn’t take long for them to roll up on the scene at hand and unfortunately, Nicole didn’t hear wrong about the snowmobile. It seems someone wanted to take a joyride through mainstreet. And judging by the beer bottle in the hand of the man sitting in the saucer sled currently being pulled behind said snowmobile, this was not a sober decision.

Nicole turns on the lights and lets the siren chirp, hoping she won’t need to make more of a scene before these idiots stop.

Thankfully, the man running the snowmobile has enough sense to pull over at the sound of the siren.

Nicole moves to get out of the car, only to look over at Summer, who hasn’t budged. “You coming, Bishop?”

“What? Oh, um, yeah! Yeah, be right there!” Summer fumbles over her words as she clamors out of the car. Nicole can’t help but laugh at how excitable Summer is. She remembers being just like that when she first started- not that it was that long ago.

Snow crunches under their feet as they walk towards the driver of the snowmobile. Nicole motions for him to take the helmet off and he ends up flipping the visor up. Good enough.

“Oh my god, Cody Riley?!” Summer squeals, and Nicole swears she just broke the sound barrier.

“Sweet little Summer Bishop? Well, you sure grew up good.” Cody says, sliding his eyes up and down Summer’s frame.

Nicole can’t stomach this, so she clears her throat, hoping to get this whole thing back on track. Summer at least has the decency to look ashamed while Cody just looks annoyed.

“License and…” Nicole trails off, looking over the snowmobile before returning her focus to Cody himself, “Registration?”

“Aw, c’mon; don’t bust my balls like this.” Cody groans as he fishes his wallet out.

“You _do_ know it’s illegal to drive a snowmobile down main street, right?” Nicole pointedly asks as she takes his license.

Cody rolls his eyes as he replies, “Jeez, lady, my car doesn’t have four wheel drive! How else am I supposed to get around?”

“Uh-huh. Well, that still doesn’t explain…” Nicole trails off, turning to the man still sitting in the sled behind them.

It’s when he waves that Nicole notices that she’s currently looking at Champ Hardy, who suddenly remembers the beer in his hand and feebly tries to hide it in his coat

“That.” Nicole finishes, staring at Champ.

“Man, that stick up your ass has got to hurt, _Officer_.” Champ says, spitting out the word ‘officer’ as if it’s an insult.

“You can’t still be licking your wounds about Waverly, Champ.” Nicole bites back in reply.

“Pfft, you wish! I don’t give two shits about that uppity bitch.” Champ grumbles.

Nicole moves immediately, grabbing Champ by the collar of his jacket, the force knocking his hat off. “How about I make you take a breathalyzer test, Hardy? I mean, I can always take you in for public intoxication.”

Champ pulls away, looking disgusted for a second before he seems to realize she’s serious, “Okay, okay, damn! I’m sorry, alright?”

“Yeah, well, you’re both still getting tickets for this. Bishop, you wanna do the honors?” Nicole asks, looking over at Summer.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Let me juuust…” Summer trails off, getting her ticket book out.

Nicole stares down Champ while Summer writes the tickets, starting with Cody’s. Nicole looks over to see Summer mouth ‘sorry’ to Cody as she tears off his ticket and hands it to him. It doesn’t take much longer for Summer to finish up Champ’s ticket and hand it to Nicole.

Nicole hands Champ his ticket, taking a smug satisfaction in this turn of events.

“You gentlemen have a nice day, now.” Nicole says, tipping her hat at them as she passes by Champ.

She and Summer get back into the cruiser and continue their patrol and it’s just as uneventful as Nicole already knows it to be. Only when they come up on the local knockoff Starbucks does Nicole’s mood improve.

“Hey, Bishop, how about we get some coffee, sound good?” Nicole asks.

“Ooh, yes please!” Summer says, perking up at the idea.

Nicole drives them through the drive-thru, ordering herself a large cappuccino and making a face as Summer requests an iced mocha in the middle of winter.

“What? I don’t like hot coffee, so sue me!” Summer says as Nicole hands her the bag of donuts they ordered and the tray of drinks.

Nicole only sighs as she rolls up the window and pulls them into a parking spot.

A few minutes of silence pass between them as they enjoy their respective drinks and a donut or two. Finally, Nicole bites the bullet and brings up her concerns from earlier, knowing that this could flip on its head at a moment’s notice.

“So, Summer...I know this is all new to you, and you have history with the folks here, but you can’t treat them like your friends.” Nicole says, worried about how this will be received.

“But they _are_ my friends!” Summer argues through a bite of donut.

“Yeah, I know, but not when we’re on duty. They have to respect you as an officer of the law.”

“Didn’t seem like they respected you back there.” Summer retorts.

“I- There’s a complicated history between me and Champ, but that doesn’t mean I tell him I’m sorry for writing him a ticket as I write it!” Nicole huffs.

“Complicated? Seems pretty straightforward to me. You stole Waverly from him, didn’t you? I mean, props to you if you did, but don’t call it complicated when it’s really not.” Summer says, abandoning her donut in her lap.

“What? No! I didn’t steal anyone! Waverly is not an object to be won or stolen or anything. She’s her own person and she chose to break up with Champ. It had absolutely nothing to do with me!” Nicole argues, becoming flustered at the turn this conversation has taken.

“You have a point there. Waverly’s always gone her own way, no matter what that meant for other people.” Summer says, her voice going harder at the end of her statement.

“What does that mean?” Nicole asks, genuinely curious.

“Nothing, forget I even said anything.” Summer says, dismissing her earlier statement.

“But I-” Nicole starts, only to be cut off by Summer.

“It was years ago, Nicole. It doesn’t really matter anymore. I’m grateful for your help, though. I’ll keep what you said in mind. I really want to get this whole thing right.” Summer says, smiling weakly at her.

“Hey, it’s a process, okay? You’ll get there.” Nicole says, patting Summer’s knee briefly. “None of us are perfect. All we can do is try and learn from our mistakes.”

“Thanks, Nicole. Now, can we get back out there, or at least turn up the heat in here? I’m freezing my ass off.” Summer says.

“That’s because you’re drinking fucking ice in 20 degree weather.” Nicole playfully jabs, thankful that she and Summer seem to have found some solid ground.

“Oh, shut up and drink your foam, Haught.”

* * *

 Nicole can feel the knots already forming in her back as she walks up her porch steps, but that’s not exactly something new. The only thing she’s looking forward to now is getting inside her house and spending some quality time with her little family.

“Honey, I’m-” Nicole cuts herself off as she steps through the door and takes in the absolute chaos in front of her.

Warner is crying. Waverly is crying. Orie is looking up at the both of them, barking his head off and probably thinking this is some kind of game as Waverly pleads with the baby.

“Come on, just stop crying! Please, I’ll do anything; you can have whatever you want just, sh, sh, sh. Come on, Warner, cut Mommy a break. You’ve been crying all day, I can’t do this anymore.” Waverly sobs, pulling a still-screaming Warner to her chest as she just breaks down in the middle of their living room.

Nicole briefly contemplates walking out of the house, feeling like this was a moment she was not supposed to see.

“Baby?” She ventures, stepping towards them.

“Oh my god, I- he won’t stop. He’s been crying all day and I can’t- you’re home, though. I’m so glad to see you... I just wanted to get my hair done today, that’s all.” Waverly whimpers, completely deflated.

“Oh, Baby, come here.” Nicole says, going over to Waverly and Warner, hugging them both.

“My nipples hurt so bad…” Waverly hiccups, sounding pathetic.

“Waverly, I’ve got him, okay? Just go take a nice warm bubble bath; everything will be okay.” Nicole says, rubbing Waverly’s back.

“Okay.” Waverly sniffles as she disentangles herself and hands Warner over.

Nicole watches Waverly disappear down the hallway to their bedroom before turning her attention to the wailing infant in her arms.

“Hey, Mister Grumpy Gills! What’s going on with you, hm?” Nicole asks, trying to break through the screaming.

It doesn’t work.

“I told you to be _good_ for your Mommy today and this is the opposite of good, just so you know.” Nicole says, bouncing Warner gently against her chest, shushing him periodically. “Oh, poor Bubba, you’re really not happy. How about we go for a drive, huh? Sound good?”

Nicole grabs his blanket from the couch and wraps him in it, grateful he’s in one of his footed sleepers already. However, trying to get him in his carseat is an adventure, and she actually ends up checking to make sure her eardrums aren’t bleeding as she climbs into the driver's seat.

Nicole turns the radio up a little bit, still keeping the volume relatively low, but louder than it had been, and she doesn’t bother changing the station from whatever one Waverly left it on the last time she was in the truck. If Warner is his mother’s son, this should help.

About ten minutes into the drive, Nicole finds herself humming along to the song on the radio, thankful that the screaming has dulled to small whimpers.

By the time Nicole pulls back into their own driveway, Warner has fallen asleep and by some miracle, she gets them back into the house without waking him. Nicole puts him down in the bassinet and then goes to the bathroom to see how Waverly’s fairing.

“Feeling any better?” Nicole asks softly as she walks in the bathroom.

“Mhm.” Waverly hums in reply, not even bothering to open her eyes.

“I’m sorry today was so awful, from the looks of it.” Nicole says, sitting down on the closed toilet seat.

“Comes with the territory. Just...please tell me he’s asleep.” Waverly says, opening her eyes to look at Nicole.

“Took a drive and me humming along to Carrie Underwood, but he was finally knocked out when we pulled back in here.” Nicole explains.

“Oh, thank god.” Waverly sighs, “Sorry, he just didn’t sleep at all today.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me, Baby.”

“I just don’t want you thinking I’m a bad mother...I’ve already felt like one all day.” Waverly mutters, breaking eye contact.

“Baby...Waverly, I could never think you’re a bad mother.” Nicole says, sliding off of the toilet seat and kneeling beside the tub, grabbing Waverly’s hand. “You’re doing your best and our little boy in there is only going to benefit from your efforts.”

“You really think so?” Waverly asks, her voice cracking as she tears up.

“Of course, Baby.” Nicole says before leaning over and kissing Waverly briefly.

“I had to cancel my hair appointment _and_ I had to have Wynonna pick up some Plan B for me.” At the face Nicole makes, Waverly clarifies, “I don’t care what you say, we weren’t exactly careful and I’d rather be safe than pregnant.”

“I can’t really blame you there.” Nicole says as Warner starts fussing as if on cue.

Waverly moves to get up, but Nicole motions for her to stay where she is, “I got this, don’t worry.”

Warner continues to cry as Nicole enters the bedroom.

“What’s wrong, Little Man? Hm?” Nicole asks before checking his diaper, “Well, I guess we found the problem.”

Nicole lays the changing mat out on the bed and gets Warner situated, changing his diaper as quickly as she possibly can to avoid any mishaps.

Once Warner is comfortably in a fresh diaper, Nicole finds herself playing with his feet and making silly faces at him. She hears Waverly come up up behind her as she pulls another face looking down at Warner only to have him smile at her; a real smile.

“Oh my god, did you see that?!” Nicole exclaims, glancing back at Waverly, “Look at you, Warner!”

“Warner, you smiled!” Waverly says, leaning over on the bed beside Nicole, kissing Warner all over his face.

The celebrations don’t last too long because Warner falls asleep soon after he is put in a fresh pair of jammies. Waverly was at first concerned that changing him would wake him up, but exhaustion won that battle.

Nicole lingers in the room for a little while longer, watching the rise and fall of Warner’s tummy as he sleeps on his back, before walking down the hallway to meet Waverly in the kitchen. She walks up behind Waverly and slides her arms around her waist, pulling her wife close.

“He smiled.” Nicole whispers before kissing Waverly’s neck.

“He did.” Waverly replies, leaning back into Nicole’s embrace.

They stand like that for a few seconds before Waverly’s growling stomach interrupts their moment.

“Have you eaten anything today?” Nicole asks, pulling back.

Waverly pauses for a few seconds before answering, “Um, no.”

“Okay that’s it.” Nicole says, pulling away entirely and pulling her cellphone out of her pocket, ordering a pizza.

“Now you need to change, Officer Haught.” Waverly says, slapping Nicole’s ass.

“As if you don’t like looking at me in my uniform.” Nicole fires back before going to the bedroom to change.

Nicole grabs a pair of pajama pants from the dresser and a sweatshirt from her academy days and changes as quickly as possible. She can’t help but sneak another peek at Warner, who is still sleeping soundly, before she heads back to the kitchen.

“So, how was your day?” Nicole asks with laugh.

“I swear that he is possessed sometimes...but only sometimes.” Waverly replies, pulling Nicole in for a hug by her sweatshirt.

“Don’t talk like that around my mom or she won’t ever shut up about getting him baptized.” Nicole says, rubbing Waverly’s back as they stand there hugging in their kitchen.

“I will literally fight her if she tries to tell me what to do with my son’s soul.” Waverly says, pulling back enough that they’re now looking at one another.

“Good luck.” Nicole replies.

“What? You don’t think I could take your mom?”

“I’d hate to see you try.” Nicole says, laughing.

“Uh-huh. Well, how was your day?” Waverly asks, still loosely holding on to Nicole.

“It was...interesting, actually. I got a new partner.” Nicole says, smiling down at Waverly.

“Oh yeah? Did they finally take Steve off of desk duty?” Waverly asks.

“No, he’s still shackled to that desk for the foreseeable future. It’s actually someone new. I mean, I guess she’s originally from here; Summer Bishop?” Nicole lilts her statement up at the end, trying to gauge Waverly’s reaction.

“Oh god, I blocked that out completely!” Waverly says, making a disgusted face, “I mean, I saw her at the Piggly Wiggly the other day, but I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the run-in.”

“Yeah, she told me about that. She was shocked when I told her we were married. Guess she thought you married Champ?” Nicole makes it a question again, not entirely sure how she wants to approach this topic.

“Yeah, well, Summer has always seemed preoccupied with the past…” Waverly trails off, looking into the distance with an unhappy expression.

“Why didn’t you correct her?” Nicole asks, the question falling out of her mouth before she can really think better of it.

“What do you mean? Correct her about what?” Waverly asks, looking up at Nicole, confused.

“About the Champ thing.” Nicole says, avoiding eye contact now, “I mean, are you ashamed of me? Of us?”

It’s a stupid question. It feels stupid the moment Nicole asks it, but she still feels better now that it’s out in the open.

“What? Of course not! Nicole, I love you more than anything. I’m not ashamed of being with you. Why would you ask that?”

“I don’t know...you just, you let her believe you were married to _Champ Hardy,_ of all people!” Nicole finally explains, feeling stupid and insecure as she stands there being held by Waverly.

“I’m sorry, Baby. I really couldn’t get a word in edgewise with her! She kept cutting me off that day and drawing her own conclusions. If that bitch had let me _talk_ ,” Waverly says, her voice and face going hard as she continues, “I would have _absolutely_ told her about you! Honestly though, I don’t like who I am around her and I just wanted to get away from her as fast as possible.” She clarifies.

Nicole looks up from the ground to meet Waverly’s eyes. She finds adoration there, and maybe a little bit of fear or apprehension, Nicole’s not sure.

“I’m sorry, Baby. I really am.” Waverly says, leaning up and kissing Nicole gently.

“So, I take it you and Summer aren’t exactly friends?” Nicole asks, pulling back from the kiss.

“Ugh, God no! I can’t stand her!” Waverly groans with a roll of her eyes.

“Hm. I actually thought she was a really nice girl.” Nicole muses, “A bit...I mean, she still hasn’t gotten hang of the idea that she’s a _cop_ , but-”

“She’s an idiot. I don’t know who decided giving her a badge and gun was a good idea.” Waverly growls.

“Hey, she’s just new, give her a chance. I mean, people change. You’re clearly not the same person _you_ were in high school.”

“Thank god for that.” Waverly sighs before a knock at the door interrupts them.

“I got this.” Nicole says, disentangling herself from Waverly and answering the door, paying for the pizza before she brings it back into the kitchen and sets it down on the counter.

“Oh my god, that smells _amazing_!” Waverly says, sniffing dramatically.

“Well, we gotta wait a little bit.” Nicole says, moving past Waverly and grabbing them each a plate from the cupboard.

She turns around, only to find Waverly pulling a piece of pizza from the box and immediately taking a bite. It’s obvious that Waverly instantly regrets the decision, but she powers through it and manages to swallow the bite of pizza all the same. Though she is clamoring to the fridge the second she swallows and ends up downing a bottle of water, trying to sooth her burned mouth.

“See, that is what happens when you don’t wait.” Nicole chides.

“Shut it, Haught!” Waverly gasps, putting the half-empty bottle of water down on the counter.

Nicole holds her hands up in a motion of surrender as she stands there, trying and failing to not laugh at her wife.

“We are the picturesque family, I swear.” Nicole says through the laughter right before Warner starts crying again. “I’ll go get him, you finish eating.” She says as she places her slice of pizza down on her plate, wipes her hands, and then heads to the bedroom.

“Hey, Warner; what’s going on?” Nicole coos as she rubs his tummy before picking him up out of his bassinet.

He doesn’t stop crying, though. Not even when she starts shushing and humming to him, so she figures, like them, he must be hungry.

“Okay, Bubba, we’re gonna get you a bottle, don’t worry.” Nicole says, carrying Warner into the kitchen.

Thankfully, there are still a few bottles in the fridge because Nicole couldn’t fathom troubling Waverly to feed him. Not after the exhausting day she’s had with him all alone here.

Soon enough, Warner's quieted down as Nicole feeds him his bottle, gently swaying from side to side as she stands there in the kitchen. She can feel Waverly’s eyes on her, but there isn’t much she can do about that now.

“Have I mentioned lately that you are the best?” Waverly says, walking over to them and setting her hand on Nicole’s lower back.

“No, I don’t think you have, but I wouldn’t object to hearing it.” Nicole says with a grin, breaking her gaze away from Warner to look at Waverly.

“Well, you are the absolute best and I don’t know what I would do without you.” Waverly says warmly.

“It's a good thing you’ll never have to find out, then, right?” Nicole asks, still smiling broadly.

The day may not have been anywhere actually close to picturesque, but these moments right here are something Nicole wouldn’t trade for the world.

Sure, she’s standing in the middle of her living room in her pajamas and a sweatshirt. Warner has been a terror all day. Waverly reached the end of her rope hours before Nicole ever got home. Things aren’t perfect. Their life together is messy, and real, and full of so much heart that Nicole feels like she might burst with how much she loves her wife and son.

These days might not win them any parenting awards, but Nicole couldn’t fathom wanting to be anywhere else.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this took...forever. I don't even have an excuse, i just suck. But enjoy the chapter anyway. Also probs don't read this at work.

_“And I know that I can't ever tell you enough  
_ _That all I need in this life is your crazy love”_

The song plays softly from the jukebox as Waverly makes her way into Shorty’s. There’s always something a little jarring about walking into a bar in the middle of the day, even if she owns said bar. Though things are especially off kilter with Warner currently strapped to her chest in the Babybjörn.

In moments like this, walking through Shorty’s with a country song playing and the few lunchtime regulars strewn around the bar, sometimes Purgatory really can live up to it’s ‘small sleepy town’ reputation. It’s these small things that make this place feel more like home now, instead of the cage it used to feel like. It helps that Waverly chose this. She saw all of her options and this time _she_ got to decide her fate. Of course, Nicole had a say and valid points, but they’re doing what they can to make this the best option in every aspect for everyone involved.

Waverly can’t help but smile as she thinks about Nicole, the morning’s events flashing through her memory. Warner woke them up early, as per usual, and Waverly took the opportunity to nurse him in bed. The angle he wanted wasn’t comfortable, but she did what she could. Once Warner was fed, he fell asleep between them, though she and Nicole weren’t so lucky.

They ended up laying in bed, just looking at one another or down at Warner. It was as if words were obsolete. Nothing they could have said could have done them any good. They didn’t even bother trying, and honestly, Waverly is grateful for that fact. The sleepy bliss of the moment was preserved until their alarms went off and reality set back in.

Now though, Waverly walks up to the bar, standing purposefully next to Nedley seated in his usual spot. She wonders briefly if they’ll be putting a small plaque on his barstool eventually.

“I didn’t know infants were allowed at Shorty’s now.” Nedley says, not even bothering to look up from his pint.

“How did you know he was here?” Waverly asks, genuinely confused because Warner has been quiet since they walked in, the motion hopefully lulling him to sleep like the car ride here did.

“You know, they did make me sheriff for a _reason_ , Waverly.” Nedley says, now turning back to face her. “Plus, there is literally a mirror in front of me, and contrary to popular belief, I’m not actually blind to the things going on in this town. Sometimes you’ve just gotta witness some stuff and move on with your day.” He adds, sobering up now as he looks at Warner.

Waverly’s not really sure what to say in response to that. It feels as if she wasn’t meant to hear it, even though she knows Nedley isn’t far gone at all. He always comes in for a meal and a drink on his lunch break, but he never even makes it through half his pint. It’s to keep up appearances, she’s always thought. Purgatory works like every small town works; like a well-oiled machine. People go to work, do what they’re meant to, and then leave. They usually end up in Shorty’s at some point, needing to blow off steam. But this town operates on more than hard work; it has its fair share of secrets that everyone talks about eventually, just not in mixed company.

Sometimes Waverly thinks this place wouldn’t survive without its gossip and secrets- everyone would have gotten bored and left if there was nothing more here. Most of the things she is privy to outside of her own home life and the knowledge within her family are pretty mundane. She gets along with most everyone in this town, she’s actually quite proud of that fact. But that does mean that most of the things people whisper about to her are inconsequential. Someone’s cheating on their wife, or maybe someone’s been drinking a little too hard, too often- or hell, even the older women at the beauty shop have their feuds.

Sometimes though, people let things slip, let bigger things be known. She knows that some people in this town have wondered about the Revenants. They told her so, mostly because they were drunk and she was sweet little Waverly Earp, harmless and trustworthy.

She knows people think Nedley is equal parts good cop and drunken buffoon. They wouldn’t ever say it to his face (aside from a teenage Wynonna), but they whisper, and it's not even true. This town would be in worlds of trouble at every turn if Nedley didn’t mostly keep a handle on things. But he plays to the role, lives in Shorty’s when he can, warms up the regulars and makes them let their guard down. He’s more than the sheriff, after all; he’s just like them, another good ole boy doing what he can to make ends meet for his family.

“So what are you and my newest little deputy doing here, anyway?” Nedley asks, flicking his eyes up from the badge pacifier clip he’d gotten Warner for the baby shower.

Waverly made it a point to use that particular clip, given their plans for this afternoon. It just so happens that Nedley has seen them first and gotten a kick out of it as well.

“I _do_ own this bar, as you well know. I’m here to run my business.” Waverly supplies in answer.

“And the baby?” Nedley asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“He’s my little protégé bartender.”  Waverly coos, looking down at Warner, grabbing his hands and bouncing them in her own, “Isn’t that right?”

Warner makes little noises in reply, smiling.

Every time Warner smiles, Waverly is overcome with love for him. Sometimes it still feels weird knowing that this small human is actually a product of her and Nicole; they made this boy and he is absolutely perfect.

“I won’t keep you any longer, then.” Nedley says with a smile before turning back to his meal.

“See you in a little bit.” Waverly says, patting Nedley’s shoulder as she passes him and makes her way into the kitchen.

She only stands in the doorway, not wanting to go any further with Warner strapped to her. It’s pretty slow in here as well- not many of the regulars order food around now, more preoccupied with their beers.

“Hey, Tito!” Waverly calls out, only to be met with a loud crash seconds later as Tito pops up from behind the counter.

“Waverly!” Tito says, grinning at her, “And who is this handsome little devil?” He says, walking towards them and looking at Warner.

“This is Warner.”  Waverly says as Warner smiles at Tito with a little gurgle, “Warner, this is Tito, he makes the best mac and cheese in the whole world.”

Tito laughs at that, a warm, hearty laugh and Warner makes noises in response.

“It’s very nice to meet you, Warner.” Tito says, shaking Warner’s little hand with his thumb and forefinger, “You’ve got your hands full with this Mommy of yours,” He leans down and whispers “I hope you like Gilmore Girls.”

“Oh, would you hush?” Waverly scoffs.

“What? It’s not my fault you’re obsessed!” Tito says with a laugh.

“It’s a good show!” Waverly huffs, “But I actually came back here because I have an order I need to-go.”

“Lay it on me.” Tito says, motioning towards himself.

“I wrote it all down- I have a few special requests.” Waverly says, digging the note out of her pocket and handing it to Tito.

“For you? Anything. And not just because you pay my bills,” Tito says as he scans the note and chuckles before looking up at Waverly with a shit-eating grin. “Oh yeah, I’m pretty sure I can do this.”

“Good, because you have to.” Waverly says before turning around and heading back out into the main bar room.

 _“And if I never get to build my mansion in Georgia_  
_Or drive a sports car up the coast of California_  
_Oh, if all I got is your hand in my hand_ _  
Baby, I could die a happy man”_

The song is still playing softly from the jukebox as Waverly walks out to the bar and walks behind it, pouring herself a glass of water.

“Well, aren’t you the cutest little bartender I’ve ever seen.”

Waverly looks up to see a new face in the bar- unfortunately, a very handsome face.

“Excuse me?” Waverly asks, bristling at the patronizing comment.

“Oh! Um, not you- I mean, you’re cute but I was just... uh, shoving my foot in my mouth, clearly. I meant the uh, the baby?” The man says, pointing down at his own chest and then looking sheepishly back up at Waverly.

“Oh, yeah! Well, you’re not _wrong,_ he is pretty darn cute, if I do say so myself.” Waverly proudly states.

The man takes a seat at the barstool in front of Waverly and she immediately goes into work mode, though she knows she shouldn’t, even if she only caught a glimpse of Devon earlier and doesn’t know where he’s currently hiding.

“What can I get you?” Waverly asks.

Waverly watches the man’s eyes scan over the taps before settling, “Blue Moon?”

“You sure about that?” Waverly teases at the lilt in the newest customer’s voice.

“Yeah, pretty sure.” The man says, licking his lips before looking from the tap to Waverly.

“Hey there, boss lady!” Waverly hears from behind her, only to turn around to see Devon grinning at her as he ties back his braids, “And boss baby!” He adds upon seeing Warner.

“You were out back smoking, weren’t you?” Waverly asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“Hey, I am legally allowed to do whatever I like on my break…even if I said I’d quit” Devon says in his defense before looking at the customer sitting in front of them, “Oh, I see you’ve met Jake, here.”

“Jake?” Waverly asks, looking from Devon to the customer.

“Jake Reynolds, pleasure to meet you.” Jake says, extending his hand to Waverly.

“Waverly Earp- I mean Haught, Waverly Haught!” Waverly quickly corrects herself, flashing her ring, “Newly married, sorry.” She attempts to laugh off her mistake.

“Ah, I guess that explains this little guy, then?” Jake says, pointing to Warner, who is smiling in his direction as Waverly hands him his beer.

“Well, aren’t you observant?” Waverly quips before Devon starts ushering her out from behind the bar.

“Come on, you shouldn’t be back here! What are you doing here, anyway?” Devon asks, sounding offended that Waverly has shown up at her own bar.

“I came to check on my business, Devon. That okay with you?” Waverly pointedly asks.

“I just don’t want you stressing about this place- I’ve got things covered.” Devon replies, sounding apologetic.

“I’m not worried about you. Besides, I actually dropped by to get some food, too.” Waverly says, not adding that the thought of actually leaving the house made her so happy she almost cried at the prospect- real adult conversations!

“Well, I’m sure it won’t be that long of a wait.” Devon says before he’s pulled away by another customer.

Seeing no other option, and wanting to give herself the enough time to situate not only herself but Warner, Waverly sits down next to Jake as she waits for her order.

“So, Reynolds. Any relation to Dr. Reynolds, the local OB/GYN?” Waverly asks the burning question.

“Actually, yes, that’s the reason I’m in town. He’s my grandfather.” Jake replies easily.

“Oh, so you’re visiting, then?” Waverly assumes he must have his own life to get back to, knowing Purgatory doesn’t exactly offer much in the way of glamor and allure.

“For the time being. But who knows, I might find a reason to stay.” Jake says with a shrug, sliding his eyes towards Waverly before before refocusing his attention on his beer as he takes a sip.

She jumps when Tito hits the bell before calling out, “Here’s that heart-shaped sandwich you wanted, Waverly!”

Waverly collects her order and then walks back past Jake as she heads for the exit.

“One lucky husband you’ve got there.” Jake says as she passes.

“Wife.” Waverly corrects without looking back.

* * *

Warner is asleep when they pull into the police station, which isn't surprising, given he was having a tough time staying awake at Shorty’s.Though this does leave Waverly with the moral dilemma of needing to wake him up to take him inside.

She knows she _has_ to wake him up- just moving the car seat into the station will probably do as much- but she hesitates because it's not an entirely time-constrained situation, Nicole can wait a few more seconds. Right now, Waverly just wants to watch her son peacefully sleep for just a little bit longer, knowing he is going to be very unhappy to be woken up.

She runs her hand over the top of his head, smoothing back his little bit of hair, more growing in on the sides and back, now. He looks like perfection, so small and trusting.

They really need to get things moving on their new house. Waverly doesn’t want Warner away from the homestead land any longer than he needs to be while there are still Revenants running around.

She sighs, knowing she’s actually going to have to pick him up, now. Getting the car seat unbuckled doesn’t take much effort and he doesn’t actually start squirming, which is a godsend and Waverly can only hope her good luck lasts for a little while longer. She’s sure he will eventually wake up and be very unhappy about the turn of events, but for now, he is still sound asleep and that’s good enough for her.

Closing the door of the truck doesn’t wake him, but that’s mostly because Waverly took care to shut it as quietly as possible.

Walking into the station is an entirely different story.

Warner starts to stir when they get past the front desk and fully wakes up as soon as the phones start ringing. So now Waverly is faced with the challenge of calming her son down and still managing to make it into the station. Unfortunately, she can actually only really do one thing at a time, and if these officers are put on edge by a screaming infant, then maybe they need to reevaluate their occupation.

It’s not that she doesn’t want to comfort Warner; of course she does. Everything in her body is screaming that she should stop everything and comfort him, but Nicole’s desk is in sight and she knows that it’ll be easier to comfort him when she actually has her hands free.

Making it to Nicole’s desk feels like a miracle, even though Nicole is nowhere to be found and Warner is still exceptionally unhappy about being awake. Waverly saw this coming though, so the guilt isn’t too extreme, so long as she ignores the stares that she can feel on her back.

“Hey Warner, it’s okay, it’s okay. You’re okay, sweetheart; come here.” Waverly says as she sets the car seat down on Nicole’s desk along with Nicole’s food and unhooks the straps, picking him up. “Sh, sh, sh, Mommy’s got you, you’re okay.”

She hums and rubs his back, swaying from side to side. Thankfully, this wasn’t a scene crafted out of hunger, instead he’s just cranky about being awake, so cuddles seem to be soothing him well enough. He’s quieted down considerably and the overwhelming mom guilt has started to subside.

No matter how many times Waverly tries to lie to herself about how guilty she feels every time Warner cries, it always sneaks up on her.

“Oh, look at those dimples!”

Waverly turns around, only to find Summer now standing in front of her, all smiles herself. She tries to school her face, but doubts she’s as successful as she hoped because there is some sort of flicker of emotion through Summer’s eyes. It’s only there for a second but Waverly caught it, all the same.

“Better watch out, Waverly. With a smile like that, he’s going to be a real hit with the ladies.” Summer says, looking from Warner and flicking her eyes up at Waverly.

“I think we’ve got plenty of time before anything like that happens. Besides, he could end up a real hit with the boys, for all we know.” Waverly says with a curt smile before she’s leaning around Summer’s shoulder, scanning the station for Nicole.

“Yeah, I guess so.” Summer says, though Waverly’s doing her best to ignore her, “Nicole just stepped out to use the facilities; she should be back any second.”

Waverly deflates a little at the information and finally gives in to the social obligation of actually paying attention to Summer, though the mere thought of it pains her.

She was really hoping she could just drop into the station and steal as much of Nicole’s attention as possible on her lunch break. Unfortunately, now she has to suffer through Summer Bishop for however long.

“So, how's it feel to be back home?” Waverly asks, not thinking much about the question but feeling like she’s stepped on a landmine all the same when Summer's eyes narrow for the briefest second the moment the words are out of her mouth.

“I love being back!” Summer replies, the momentary tension seemingly abandoned as she continues, making Waverly wonder for a second if it was really there at all, until she remembers who she is speaking to, “It’s so nice, it’s like nothing’s changed. I mean, everyone’s still here, though _you’d_ know more about that then I would, right? We really should get together sometime to catch up! You could update me on everything I’ve missed in Purgatory over the years!”

If she wasn’t standing in the middle of a police station and holding her son, Waverly might give in to her base urge to punch Summer in her stupid fucking mouth, but unfortunately, circumstances don’t allow for that.

 _This_ is the crux of her frustration with Summer; it's not always _what_ she says, it’s _how_ she says it.

To anyone else, the invitation to catch up would seem sincere and genuine, but Waverly can feel the undercurrent. This isn't about reminiscing, this is about making Waverly feel small.

She got out. Summer left this town and followed her dreams and sure, she’s ended up right back where she started, but it was by choice.

Waverly never got to leave. She's had these dreams for so long and worked so hard, but that was never in the cards for her. She’s been needed here, to help run the bar and try to figure out how to break the curse. The universe has been doing its very best to make sure Waverly has been rooted in this one spot, and she wants to say she hasn’t regretted a moment of it, but that's not true.

She’s happy, though. She's happy with Nicole and Warner and wouldn’t trade them for anything, but she doesn’t want Purgatory to be all she ever sees in her lifetime. She still wants to travel, to study, to actually _do_ something with her degrees (though honestly, she’s not completely sure she _could,_ but she at least wants the opportunity to _try_ ).

Granted, this current tension now sitting between her and Summer is Waverly’s fault; she started it. It’s not as if she can lie to herself and say she wasn’t angling to remind Summer that she ended up right back in this small town just like almost everyone else who has ever tried to leave. Being around Summer just makes Waverly feel like a teenager again, with her back against a wall. She knows she shouldn’t do these things, but she just can’t help herself; Summer brings out the worst in her. She always has.

Waverly knows she needs to finally respond, but at the same time, she's not sure she has the wherewithal to do so.  

Thankfully, she's saved as Warner starts to fuss. This gives her a reason to focus on him and put the conversation with Summer on the back burner. In all honesty, Waverly doesn’t even intend to acknowledge Summer’s offer to catch up, which she hopes no one notices in the heat of the moment.

“Hey there, grumpy boy.” Nicole says, walking up behind Waverly.

Waverly has never been more in love with her wife than in this moment.

She hands Warner off to Nicole, and Summer at least looks uncomfortable standing there with nothing to say.

“Okay, well, I’ll leave you to it. I have a mountain of paperwork to get to, anyway. See you in a few, Nicky.” Summer says, laughing as she excuses herself, squeezing Nicole’s shoulder before walking to her own desk.

Nicole makes face as Summer walks away, and Waverly can’t help herself.

“Nicky?” Waverly asks, a smug smile on her face.

“I haven’t gotten around to telling her I hate that name with a passion.” Nicole offers with as much of a shrug as she can manage while holding Warner, who is smiling up at her now.

“You should really get on that, _Nicky_.” Waverly says, still smiling.

“Bitch, stop.” Nicole says, raising an eyebrow at her wife.

“I am divorcing you, right now.” Waverly fires back.

They both break into raucous laughter after a beat. It takes a few seconds for them to actually calm down and sober up.

“Oh my god, I’m going to have my six pack back after that.” Waverly says, wiping her eyes.

“I think I could skip my workout.” Nicole says with a laugh.

“Oh, like you could ever skip out on that.” Waverly says, smiling.

“Gotta keep in shape to kick some bad guy as- butts.” Nicole corrects herself as she looks at Warner while she finishes her statement.

“Mhm, sure.” Waverly says, eying her wife, “Well, we just came to drop off some food,” She turns around and grabs the bag from Nicole’s desk, “And to give you some quality Warner time before I go drop him off at Aunt Wynonna’s.” She finishes, playing with Warner’s foot.

“Can’t say I mind that arrangement.” Nicole says, bouncing Warner before handing him to Waverly and grabbing her lunch.

“I had Tito make it special.”  Waverly says, eager to see Nicole’s reaction to the heart-shaped sandwich.

“Oh yeah?” Nicole asks as she takes the sandwich out of the bag, “Wow, you really went all out with this didn’t you?”

“It’s your favorite! Fried peanut butter and banana.”

‘I’ll be sure to dig into that in a sec,” Nicole says, dropping the sandwich back in the bag, “But right now I wanna spend all the time I can with this little guy.”

Waverly hands Warner to Nicole and watches them as they interact, Nicole making silly faces at Warner while he smiles at her and touches her face as she sways with him in her arms. Unfortunately, they can’t stay much longer because Waverly wants to give Nicole some actual time to eat, but pulling Warner away from her is a struggle. So she’s a little later than she wanted to be getting to Wynonna’s, but they make it there all the same.

Warner cried when Waverly took him from Nicole’s arms. It was awful.

He fell asleep on the drive to the homestead, though so Waverly’s at least happy he got his nap in before handing him off to his aunt and uncles. Speaking of which, they’re all waiting out on the porch, Wynonna sitting on the porch swing Doc and Dolls recently installed.

“Okay, time to go, Sweetheart.” Waverly says as she unbuckles her seatbelt and looks back at Warner, still sound asleep.

This is not going to be easy.

So, instead of risking waking him up, Waverly opts to start unloading supplies. Wynonna’s eyes widen as Waverly starts handing off not just the diaper bag, but the travel cot, toys, blanket, and the cooler full of bottles to Doc and Dolls, who head inside.

“Don’t you think you’re overdoing it? I mean, it’s just one night, Waverly.” Wynonna says, getting up off of the swing and walking down to meet Waverly by the truck.

“Oh, just you wait. Tonight is going to be one hell of a wake up call; there’s no handing him back to me when things get tough.” Waverly says, looking from her sister to her still-sleeping son.

“He’s one little baby, it’ll be fine. I fight demons, I think I can handle my nephew.” Wynonna scoffs.

“I hope you know you just doomed yourself to the worst night ever.” Waverly says before finally turning back to the truck and opening the door.

She doesn’t move immediately.

Gearing herself up to actually unbuckle Warner from the car seat is taking way more effort than Waverly imagined. She knows intellectually that he will be safe- they’re on the homestead land and Wynonna, Doc, and Dolls are all capable of handling him, at least between the three of them- but that doesn’t make this easy at all.

This will be their first night without him since...Constance.

This is a really big step for them, and Waverly knows she is going to fall apart the minute she drives away, considering how difficult it is to just take him from the truck. But unfortunately, it’s still cold out and she'd much rather have Warner inside where it's warm, which means unbuckling his car seat, finally.

Thankfully, he doesn’t stir as he’s carried inside but Waverly is not about to leave him there with no instructions or guidelines and besides, she can’t wrap her brain around the thought of just leaving as if it were no big deal.

Waverly follows Wynonna into the house and through to the kitchen. It’s still a little strange to realize this house has truly become a home. It’s not as if Waverly has many happy memories here, but Wynonna has forged her own now, even if a little by force.

Not only has she taken the house back, but she’s going to be raising her own family here. Waverly’s eyes trail down to Wynonna’s small yet noticeable baby bump. Wynonna Earp, self-proclaimed fuck up extraordinaire, is pregnant- with twins, no less!

“Wow, Wynonna you look amazing, you’re practically-”

“I swear to god, if you say I’m glowing, I will punch you in the tit.” Wynonna bites out, glaring at Waverly.

“I- I was gonna say…” Waverly wracks her brain for the first word she can think of that’s similar to glowing, fumbling over her answer, “uh, radiant?”

“I hate you _so much_ , Waverly.”

“Okay, so _anyway,_  I took the liberty of printing Warner’s usual schedule. He’s actually starting to sleep through most of the night now, so you guys should be okay there.” Waverly says, brushing past the exchange, walking Warner over to the table and setting his car seat down.

“Give it here, I don’t want you to start rambling about it before I get a chance to read it.” Wynonna says, gesturing for the schedule

Waverly pulls it out of her purse and Wynonna snatches it out of her hands, beginning to read.

Waverly can’t help but watch as her sister scans over everything; she never thought she would be here, not really. She’s standing in the kitchen of her childhood home with her son sleeping soundly in his car seat just mere inches away, and Wynonna’s here. Really, truly _here_.

If she’s honest with herself, Waverly never really thought this was possible. She never thought Wynonna would come back to Purgatory- not really. Sure, the curse dictated it, but Wynonna could’ve kept running. In fact, Waverly was trying to prepare for just that until Wynonna ended up back here unannounced. But Waverly knows this isn’t just about the curse anymore; Wynonna is here to stay.

Purgatory suits her, though. As much at Wynonna tries to fight it, she is absolutely a product of this town.

“You even schedule when he poops?!” Wynonna says, looking up from the schedule, scandalized.

“We’ve got him on a pretty good schedule and that's just an outline given when we feed him. It's better than hitting REM sleep, only to end up jolted awake by a screaming infant.” Waverly replies in her own defense.

Wynonna just blinks at her as if she’s grown a second head.

“Don’t worry, this’ll become your life soon, too.” Waverly smiles at her sister.

“I am never going to do anything like _this._ ” Wynonna replies, waving the sheet of paper around as if to emphasize her point.

“You’re not exempt from the craziness of motherhood, Wynonna.” Waverly says with a roll of her eyes as Wynonna grunts in reply and goes back to reading, “Speaking of which, how're things going, _Mama_?”

Wynonna flicks her eyes up from the schedule and looks at Waverly as if trying to find some sort of ulterior motive to the question- or maybe she just didn’t like being called ‘Mama’- Waverly can’t exactly tell.

“No more morning sickness, so that’s a plus. I’ve got an ultrasound scheduled for the week after next.” Wynonna says, finally deciding that Waverly is worth an answer.

“That’s great! Oh! Is this the big one? Gonna find out the genders?” Waverly says, doing the math in her head.

“Yeah, I’m actually really excited to just know, y’know?” Wynonna says, looking over at Warner, “I don’t like the whole air of mystery thing, it’s just not really my bag. I mean, I guess it works for some people, but getting two for the price of one was surprise enough.”

“I can definitely understand that. It’s still wild to think you’re having twins. So, what do you want? And don’t give me that crap about just wanting them to be healthy, you’ve gotta have some sort of preference; I mean, you know what mine was.”

“The whole _town_ knew what your preference was, Waves.” Wynonna scoffs, “I think I want two boys. God knows I wouldn’t even know what to do with a girl.”

“Nicole wanted a boy.” Waverly states simply, “I mean, she never _said_ it, but I could just tell. Do Doc and Dolls have a preference?”

“Human.” Dolls answers as he comes into the kitchen, Doc beside him.

Waverly is taken aback slightly, “I mean... is that even a question?”

Doc shares a look with Dolls and then shrugs in Waverly’s direction.

“That should be...fun?” Waverly lilts up, unsure of how to take the news.

“Ignore him, he’s just being overly dramatic. So, isn’t Nicole’s sister supposed to swing by soon?” Wynonna asks, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen over everyone and thankfully changing the subject entirely.

“Huh? What? Oh yeah, Hayley said she’d come by on the weekend to survey the land so she can draw up the initial plans.” Waverly replies, getting excited over the prospect of their own home coming to fruition.

“I can’t believe you guys are actually going through with that.” Wynonna says, shaking her head in disbelief.

“Runs in the family, I guess.” Waverly says, looking around the kitchen. “I mean, Wyatt built this house to begin with. Besides, I’m picky.” She shrugs.

“Okay, well, I think we’ve got things sorted here. You’ve brought over, like, your entire house. Now kindly, get the fuck out.” Wynonna says, ushering Waverly out.

“What? Why? We’re having a conversation!” Waverly argues.

“No, you were stalling and I’m not going to have you here all night. Go home, we’ve got this.” Wynonna says, trying to push Waverly out of the kitchen.

“But I-” Waverly gets cut off.

“Out. Now. Or you’ll never leave.” Wynonna bites out.

As soon as Waverly registers her sister’s words, she knows they’re true. “Okay, okay, just let me say goodbye.”

Wynonna relents and Waverly walks over to where Warner is still sleeping. “Bye-bye, Warner; Mommy will be back tomorrow to get you, be good, I love you to the moon and back.” Waverly kisses Warner on the top of his head, lingering there for a few seconds before prying herself away, trying to memorize his scent and every single detail about him in this moment.

And then she’s standing on the front porch, not knowing what to do with herself. She climbs back into the truck and instinctively looks in the backseat through the rearview mirror, Warner’s absence gutting her.

She makes it further down the road than she thought she would before she pulls over, crying so hard she can barely catch her breath.

* * *

 Waverly knows when Nicole has come home because Orie bolts from the bed where he had previously been lazing half-asleep. She doesn’t move, though; she’s still working on making herself look like an actual functional adult, not just Warner’s Mommy.

She smiles to herself when she hears Nicole’s footsteps and doesn’t look over when Nicole’s lips find her cheek. Instead, Waverly eyes her through the mirror, looking over their reflections.

“You’re going all out tonight, aren’t you?” Waverly asks, spying the roses in Nicole’s hands.

“Only the very best for you.” Nicole says, kissing Waverly’s temple before she straightens up.

“Mm, flattery will get you _everywhere_ tonight, Officer.” Waverly says, smiling as she looks up and back at Nicole, “I’ll go put these in water while you get ready because there is no way I am letting you out of the house in that uniform tonight.”

“Is that a promise?” Nicole asks.

Waverly playfully swats at her wife, “Oh hush and go get changed into people clothes. _Nice ones_.”

“Ooh, hit me again, I like it.” Nicole says, unbuckling and dropping her utility belt on the bed.

“Maybe later...if you behave.” Waverly replies, arching an eyebrow.

By some miracle, they actually make it out of the house in enough time to not only make their reservation, but to get there early. Waverly has only checked her phone twice so far, and it feels like a small victory.

They’re lead through the restaurant and seated and immediately, without even thinking, Waverly places her cell phone down on the table, face up. It takes Nicole about five seconds before she says something, eyeing the phone the whole time.

“We agreed, Waverly.”

“I know, but I can’t just-”

“Yes, you can. The volume’s up and Warner’s in safe, capable hands. No news is good news and you’re going to drive yourself crazy if you keep looking at that thing.” Nicole finishes with a little huff and Waverly knows she’s right, but she hates it.

“Okay, okay, you’re right.” She finally relents.

“I do love when you say that.” Nicole smirks as Waverly puts her phone back in her purse.

The waiter comes and goes with their wine glasses full on the table between them. It’s strange for Waverly to actually allow herself to drink tonight. It’s been so long since she’s been able to partake, and it feels like she’s betraying Warner somehow, but she puts the wine glass to her lips, regardless, trying to push past the guilt.

“Okay, I can’t do this!” Nicole suddenly huffs, and Waverly looks at her, confused.

“Can’t do-” Waverly cuts herself off, watching as Nicole digs through her purse, pulling her phone out and putting it to her ear.

Waverly can hear the phone ringing from the other side of the small table. But she’s not going to rub it in- not yet. She wants to know how this is going to play out before she lets herself be smug.

“Wynonna? Hi, yeah, we um- yeah, how is he?” Nicole starts out.

Waverly can sort of hear her sister on the other end of the phone, but it’s nothing she can really make out. Instead, she just has to take her cues from Nicole’s reactions.

“Okay, well, call us if anything changes, okay?” Nicole says, shoulders relaxing before she ends the call.

Waverly doesn’t get to say anything before Nicole holds up her hand and then points at her, “Don’t say a word.”

Waverly doesn’t say anything per Nicole’s request, instead she just stares at her wife, pointedly sipping at her wine.

“Okay, okay, I know I cracked, but it was driving me crazy.” Nicole admits, placing her phone down on the table, face down. “Besides, now we know for sure that he’s fine.”

Waverly just hums, trying her hardest not to smile. She wants Nicole to squirm just a little bit longer.

“That’ll be the end of it, though; tonight’s all about us. Promise.” Nicole says, putting her phone back in her purse and looking over at Waverly, pleading silently for mercy.

Waverly relents.

“You promise? Well, that’s good because I do have a few things planned for tonight.” Waverly says, smirking.

Under the table, she slips out of her heels and runs her foot up Nicole’s shin, grateful that her wife opted for pants tonight.

“Oh yeah? What might those plans be?” Nicole asks, her voice cracking as she raises an eyebrow in Waverly’s direction.

“I’m sure you can figure it out.”

Conversation dies out a bit once their food is brought to their table. In favor of actual heavy conversation, they share excited expression after a bite or two, and small forkfuls of their meals (purposely choosing different ones for this express purpose), and little moans of food porn pleasure.

“You know you’re absolutely gorgeous, right?” Nicole offers, looking Waverly over as their empty plates are taken away.

“Yeah, stuffing my face with food is super sexy.” Waverly argues with a roll of her eyes.

“I think that’s a fetish, actually.” Nicole muses, and at Waverly questioning glance, she adds, “not mine! But like, people are fucking weird.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not like what we do in the bedroom is a hundred percent conventional, either.” Waverly says, smirking, “or before Warner, at least...I mean, remember how he was conceived?”

“Can’t exactly forget bending you over the hood of my cruiser.” Nicole says, blushing at her own words.

“Aw, you’re so cute when you blush.” Waverly hums, sliding her leg up Nicole’s leg, settling against her crotch, rubbing lightly.

“I-” Nicole clears her throat and shifts in her seat before continuing, “I’m really not going for _cute,_ here.”

“Oh yeah? Well, what do you wanna be?”

* * *

 Waverly’s back slams against the stall door as she blindly feels around to lock it. Nicole leans in and kisses her hard on the lips before moving down to her neck. Her breath hitches as Nicole picks her up, sitting her against her hips. Waverly instinctively starts grinding into Nicole, legs wrapped around her, trying to pull her in as close as humanly possible. But there are still way too many layers between them.

Nicole’s hand snakes up Waverly’s thigh, pushing the skirt of her dress up against her stomach as she pulls down Waverly’s panties enough to give herself access. Waverly gasps as Nicole’s thumb slides over her clit. She grinds into Nicole, trying to gain even more friction before kissing her hard.

“Fuck me.” Waverly whispers.

The sound of Nicole undoing her zipper actually has Waverly shaking a little in anticipation. A brief second of clarity has Waverly’s veins going cold with the icy terror of possibly not having any protection, but just as she opens her mouth so say something about that, Nicole shifts and cuts her to the chase.

“Hold on to the top, okay?” Nicole pants.

At first Waverly doesn’t understand until Nicole lifts her up a bit more and clarifies, “Hold on to the stall, I have to get-”

Waverly cuts Nicole off with another kiss before pulling back and hoisting herself up as much as she can, her legs still wrapped around Nicole, though more loosely. She watches as Nicole fumbles with the condom, laughing as her purse falls from its perch on the sink and hits the ground with a clamor.

“Good thing we took the big stall, right?” Waverly asks

“Shut up.” Nicole says before pulling Waverly down a bit and sliding into her.

Waverly moans and she can’t exactly keep her mouth closed when she does, even if she knows they need to be quiet or they’ll be kicked out of this place and literally everyone in town will be talking about it in the morning.

Nicole helps, sort of. She clasps a hand over Waverly’s mouth as she thrusts into her hard and fast, almost violently, as Waverly’s thighs shake. Waverly for her part claws at whatever part of Nicole she can reach, which for now just means her back, her nails dragging over the fabric of Nicole’s dress shirt.

Nicole’s hand falls away from Waverly’s mouth as she grabs Waverly’s ass, steadying herself a bit more before losing her pace as she comes, burying her face in the crook of Waverly’s neck. Waverly runs her hand up and down Nicole’s back, unsure of exactly what to do.

“I’m sorry.” Nicole says, still panting.

“It’s fine, you’ll make it up to me when we get home.” Waverly states, matter-of-factly.

Something shifts in Nicole, Waverly can see it in her eyes. It’s subtle but it’s there, and Waverly can’t say she doesn’t enjoy it. Nicole wordlessly nods and lets Waverly down.

“I’m going to give you a few and go out there as soon as I don’t look like I just got fucked. Clean up and meet me at the truck.” Waverly says, looking at Nicole, running her hand through her mussed hair.

* * *

_“_ _We've been out all night_  
_Tearing up this town_  
_It's time to bring it all home_  
_Start the second round'_  
_Cause when you get turned on  
__I can't turn you down”_

The irony of the lyrics currently playing through their truck on the way home from the restaurant is not lost on Waverly in the least. Thankfully, it doesn’t take them too long to actually pull onto their road. The drive through town isn’t even that long, but it feels excruciating, given that Waverly just wants to jump Nicole right now.

The little stint at the restaurant only left Waverly wanting more. It also left her with a few questions, given that stamina has never been one of Nicole’s problems.

“It wasn’t your fault.” Nicole says with literally no preamble.

Waverly doesn’t say anything, not really sure how to respond.

“I- I liked doing that- fucking you, in a public place- I guess a bit too much. That’s honestly never happened to me. I know that sounds like a fucking cliche, but it’s true.” Nicole says, her voice cracking the slightest bit.

“It’s okay, Baby. Like I said, you’re gonna make it up to me.” Waverly says, placing her hand on Nicole’s thigh, just attempting to comfort her wife at this point. They sit there for a few seconds as Nicole pulls into their driveway. “Now park this damn truck and get inside that house _right now_.”

Nicole clamors out of the truck and they fumble their way into the house, messily making out the whole time as Waverly slams the front door closed behind them. They stumble down the hallway to the bedroom and Waverly pushes Nicole back onto the bed.

“Now, since you were feeling so nostalgic tonight, I think we can bring something back.” Waverly says, walking over to the chair where Nicole put her utility belt before they left.

“What have you got in mind?” Nicole asks, leaning back on the bed, resting on her forearms.

Waverly straightens back up as the handcuffs swing from her index finger

“ _Strip_.”

It’s a demand, not a request.

Nicole complies.

Waverly’s straddling Nicole now, both naked as she hooks the handcuffs through their headboard, clicking them closed.

“Those feel okay? Not too tight?” Waverly asks, looking down at Nicole.

“Yeah, they’re fine.” Nicole says, already looking a little dazed.

“You sure?” Waverly asks again, leaning down and kissing Nicole gently.

Nicole hums in reply.

“Good.” Waverly replies before pulling back.

Waverly just stares down at Nicole for a few seconds, taking in the sight of her. Nicole really is gorgeous. She’s sitting on Nicole’s abdomen and stays there for a few more seconds before she gets up and she can feel Nicole’s eyes following her in rapt attention.

“I have to say, Officer, seems you got yourself into quite the _predicament._ ” Waverly says picking up Nicole’s hat from the chair and putting it on, “I mean, you’re handcuffed to your own bed…”

Waverly walks up to Nicole, fingertips trailing up Nicole’s side, “Completely helpless.” She purrs before wrapping her hand around Nicole’s throat. She doesn’t apply pressure, that’s not a part of the game she wants to play. Besides, with the way Nicole’s pupils have blown, pressure isn’t even necessary.

Waverly lets go of Nicole’s throat and swings her leg across her, sitting up on her chest. “You’re gonna make me feel good now, Baby. Not with this…” Waverly leans back and strokes Nicole’s cock briefly before leaning back up, “That’ll be later. Right now, I’m gonna ride your face until you make me come; is that clear?”

Nicole nods.

“Use your words, Baby.” Waverly says, stroking Nicole’s cheek.

“Yes.”

“Good girl.” Waverly says before moving up Nicole’s body, her thighs around Nicole’s head, careful to keep her body weight mostly on the headboard that she’s holding on to.

She gasps as Nicole’s tongue makes contact with her, working over her clit in fast, short strokes. Waverly grinds into her, still careful but needing more friction. Nicole lifts up the tiniest bit and Waverly has to shift with the movement before Nicole starts sucking on her clit. Waverly moans as she continues to grind into Nicole, who starts sucking harder, drawing more moans from Waverly.

It doesn’t take long before Waverly’s falling over that edge, coming hard. She lifts up off of Nicole’s face, pushing herself back towards Nicole’s abdomen. The unmistakable feel of Nicole’s erection presses against Waverly’s ass and Waverly pushes back, grinding into Nicole.

“Hard again already, Baby?” Waverly asks, clearly knowing the answer.

Nicole just moans in response as Waverly reaches back and grabs her cock before hoisting herself enough to push herself back enough that her cunt is resting against Nicole.

“Aw, poor baby. You’re aching, aren’t you?” Waverly says, drawing another moan from Nicole that dies into a whimper.

Waverly slides herself forward, over Nicole’s cock, the friction doing delicious things to her still-sensitive clit.

“Fuck!” Nicole says, pulling at the handcuffs.

“Aw, did you like that, huh?” Waverly says, pulling back and then sliding forward again, moaning loudly as her clit slides over Nicole.

“Jesus Christ, Waverly!” Nicole growls, frustrated.

“Behave!” Waverly bites out the one word, grabbing Nicole by the jaw, leaning her whole body into Nicole’s.

Waverly can see the internal struggle behind Nicole’s eyes, but she can see the submission that Nicole finally lands on.

“Good.” Waverly says, releasing Nicole’s jaw roughly before sitting back up and staring down at her for a few seconds. “If you behave, you get rewarded.” She moans as she grinds over Nicole again before getting up off of the bed completely.

Nicole whimpers at the loss of contact and Waverly can’t help but take some pity on her, leaning over the bed and kissing Nicole on the lips, gently juxtaposing her earlier actions. This is just a game, after all.

Nicole leans up as Waverly pulls back, angling for another kiss, but Waverly doesn’t oblige, even if Nicole’s absolutely adorable with her eyes still closed, begging with her body for another kiss, some more physical contact with Waverly. Anything Waverly will allow.

Waverly walks around the bed to the side table and grabs a condom, tearing it open carefully, watching Nicole the whole time. She could have done this while still straddling Nicole, of course. But that wouldn’t have been as much fun. Watching Nicole squirm in anticipation is far better.

“Stay still.” Waverly says, getting back on the bed and rolling the condom on Nicole, sitting between her legs.

“Can you just ride me already?” Nicole huffs, lifting her hips up.

“Well, I was going to, but maybe I’ll wait a little longer.” Waverly hums, trailing her nails over Nicole’s stomach, slowly applying more pressure before she’s actually scratching down Nicole’s abdomen.

Waverly doesn’t say anything when she moves to straddle Nicole, positioning herself so that she sinks down on Nicole’s cock in one motion, slow though it is.

“God I love riding you.” Waverly says, sitting there, letting her body acclimate for a few seconds before rolling her hips up until she sinks back down.

She starts slow, really drawing this out because it’s fun to watch Nicole unravel into sexual frustration, even if this is the most she’s been given during all of this. Waverly doesn’t keep her patience for very long though, picking her pace up, her fingers going to her clit as she grinds into Nicole.

She keeps riding Nicole, her hat falling off sometime during, Waverly’s not really sure when, though as she now straddles that edge, her body tensing as she gets closer and closer. She screams when her orgasm takes her over.

“Holy shit, Waverly!” Nicole grunts.

“Don’t you dare come, you don’t get to until I tell you!” Waverly pants, slowing down but still rolling her hips into Nicole.

“What?!” Nicole growls, pulling at the handcuffs.

“This isn’t about you, remember?” Waverly bites out before leaning down and kissing Nicole, pulling back, Nicole’s bottom lip between her teeth before she releases her after a few seconds.

“So what am I, your sex toy?” Nicole asks, laughing weakly.

“I was gonna say you’re my bitch, but we can go with that instead, if you want.” Waverly replies, serious.

“Fuck…” Nicole moans.

“You like that? Me calling you my bitch? Hm, Baby?” Waverly asks, voice saccharine and mocking.

Nicole doesn’t respond with words. Instead, it’s just a bunch of noises that Waverly takes as agreement. She speeds up, her hips lifting and falling back as she chases another orgasm.

After two more, Waverly’s body is completely spent and Nicole is just barely keeping herself together.

“Come for me, Baby!” Waverly yells mid-orgasm.

Nicole does not need to be told twice.

“Waverly!” Nicole grunts as she comes, pulling at the handcuffs.

Waverly unlocks the handcuffs around Nicole’s wrists and immediately Nicole is rubbing at them.

“Are they going to bruise?” Waverly asks, taking Nicole’s wrists in her own hands, making sure to be gentle.

“Probably, but that’s my fault, I shouldn’t have kept pulling at them.” Nicole says, still panting a bit.

“Aw, my poor baby. Maybe we shouldn’t have used them.” Waverly says, kissing Nicole gently on the lips before getting off of her.

Nicole grabs for her, but Waverly just looks back.

“Come back.” Nicole says, trying to pull Waverly back on the bed.

“Get cleaned up first.” Waverly says, smiling.

Nicole makes quick work of taking off, tying up, and disposing of the condom. Waverly starts the shower without saying a word, leading Nicole to the bathroom and then stepping in and Nicole follows quickly after her. Waverly smiles and pulls Nicole close, hugging her while the water hits her shoulders and trickles down from there.

“You should probably get the water first.” Waverly says, pulling back enough to look up at Nicole.

They switch positions and Waverly presses herself into Nicole’s back. They stand there for a while, the hot water hitting the front of Nicole’s body as Waverly snuggles as close as she possibly can. They don’t even move to get clean for a while, instead just standing there enjoying each other’s company before Nicole turns around and then they’re hugging as the water hits Nicole’s back.

“I love you.” Waverly says, her words bouncing off of the tiles.

“I know. I love you, too.” Nicole replies.

Waverly looks up at Nicole and then they're kissing, soft and gentle, just reconnecting in a way that’s purely physical, and yet very different than what they were just doing a few minutes ago. This is like their recharge moment; something to ground them back to one another.

“Okay, I think we actually need to get clean.” Nicole finally says, and Waverly whines a little bit because that means she can’t cling to Nicole as much.

The shower doesn’t last too much longer. Waverly watches Nicole as she steps out, wrapping a towel around her chest. Sometimes Waverly just likes watching Nicole doing mundane things; it somehow reminds her that she is going to happily spend the rest of her life doing this, watching Nicole just exist in the same space, and Waverly can’t think of anything better than that.

“What? Why are you staring?” Nicole asks, confused as she looks back at Waverly, who still hasn’t stepped out of the shower.

“I just love you a lot.” Waverly says, smiling.

“You’re such a loser.” Nicole says, leaning forward and kissing Waverly’s forehead, “But I love you, too. Now come on and get dried off.”

Waverly decides to just throw on a pair of sweatpants and one of Nicole’s old t-shirts while Nicole opts for a pair of panties and a t-shirt about two sizes too big. They’ve walked out into the living room where Waverly has declared herself the queen of the remote for the night, much to Nicole’s chagrin.

“I’m gonna call Wynonna. You want me to hand the phone off at some point?” Nicole asks, leaning over the armrest of the couch as she pulls up Wynonna’s number.

“Just facetime her and save us all the trouble.” Waverly says.

They do just that, Wynonna answering the call after a few rings.

“Jesus, next time _warn_ me before you just call like that! He just went back to sleep!” Wynonna hisses, walking out of whatever room she’s in and closing the door behind her.

“How’ve things been going over there?” Nicole asks as Waverly laughs from her seat on the couch.

“Hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure Waverly has given birth to a very tiny, very cute, fucking demon.” Wynonna groans, swiping her hand down her face.

“Maybe it’s genetic, Wynonna and you’ll get two of them!” Waverly calls out from over Nicole’s shoulder.

“Is that Waverly? Where is she?” Wynonna asks before Nicole moves and sits down next to Waverly, showing them both on the call.

“Right he-” Waverly gets cut off.

“First, never threaten me with a kid like yours because that’s just _unfair_. Second, I think he legitimately hates me?” Wynonna lilts the statement up into a question, “I mean, the moment you left and he woke up, it was like I broke him or something. He would not stop crying.”

Waverly’s chest hurts at the revelation and she immediately considers leaving and going straight to the homestead to get her baby. But she knows that wouldn’t help either of them, and besides, Wynonna could use the practice.

“But he’s okay now?” Waverly asks, hopeful.

“Yeah, it took Doc singing to him of all things, but he’s good. Why didn’t you tell me about that little trick?” Wynonna asks.

“Honestly, I just forgot.” Waverly admits, a part of her actually a bit disappointed that Warner seems to be doing fine in her absence, but the bigger part just happy to know that he is okay and sleeping soundly.

“Yeah, maybe if I ever have you babysit, I’ll just conveniently forget whatever calms them down so you can run around like a chicken with its head cut off.” Wynonna grumbles, walking into the kitchen, clicking on the light.

“Go to sleep while you can, Wynonna.” Waverly says, brushing her sister off.

“Yeah, I’m about to, after this.” Wynonna says before walking back upstairs and into a dimly lit room.

Waverly heart swells when Wynonna switches the camera and Warner’s sleeping face comes on the screen. There was a part of her, some small guttural part, that feared for a second that maybe he wasn’t there, that something happened to him without anyone knowing...it wouldn’t be too farfetched, after everything. But he’s there, he’s safe, he’s still their sweet little boy and they will be driving to the homestead the minute they wake up in the morning to bring him right back home where he belongs. For now though, he can terrorize his aunt and uncles for the rest of the night.

Wynonna flips the camera back on her without warning, causing Waverly to jump the tiniest bit before they say their goodbyes.

Soon, they’re sitting in silence, the phone still face up briefly in Nicole’s hand before she beings it back down to her side.

Waverly wants to say something, anything, but no words are coming. Instead, she just clicks the TV on and snuggles up to Nicole, hoping the drama from one of her favorite shows will help distract her from wanting to run straight to the homestead.

“You know, for a brief second there, I seriously considered jumping in the truck and going to get him.” Nicole admits, voice soft.

Waverly looks over at her wife and smiles, “Yeah, me too.”

They sit in another small silence, Waverly wondering if they’re both thinking the same thing.

“Nah.” They both say aloud as if to shrug off the temptation.

They look at one another in shock before dissolving into a fit of giggles. Waverly pulls Nicole in for a kiss and then just keeps giving her small kisses between laughter.

Somehow, after all is said and done, they’ve ended up laying on the couch, Waverly on top of Nicole, barely able to focus on the show still playing on the TV screen. Her eyelids are heavy, but this feels like perfection, being wrapped up in Nicole’s arms.

“I think Celeste is gonna kill Perry.” Waverly murmurs into Nicole’s chest.

Nicole just grunts in reply as her hand runs the length of Waverly’s back in lazy patterns.

  
They fall asleep like that, the aches in the morning worth it, tenfold.


	5. Chapter 5

Waverly is fiddling with the radio, scanning through the stations while Warner is playing with a few of the dangling toys attached to his car seat above him, the small rattling sounds making their way up to the front of the truck. Nicole can’t help but smile to herself as they drive down the road.

“I keep feeling like we forgot something.” Waverly says, settling back against her seat, hand finally falling from the radio dial.

“No, you keep trying to find an excuse to go back home and avoid this.” Nicole argues, having heard all of this for the last thirty minutes.

Waverly just hums in response as she looks out the window.

Nicole knows that Waverly doesn’t want to do this- visit Hayley- no matter how many times she tries to reassure her that everything is going to be fine.

 _“Oh, I wanna come near and give ya_   
_Every part of me_   
_But there's blood on my hands_   
_And my lips aren’t clean_   
_In my darkness I remember_   
_Momma’s words reoccur to me_   
_"Surrender to the good Lord_ _  
_ And he’ll wipe your slate clean"

“You know, you better enjoy this while you can because soon we’ll be listening to The Wiggles or something every time we’re in this truck.” Nicole muses.

“Oh my god, I loved The Wiggles!” Waverly exclaims, looking over at Nicole.

Nicole glances over at her wife and just sighs; she should have seen that one coming, and yet...here she is, disappointed in herself.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Nicole asks, not trying to hide her smile as she shakes her head.

“Mm, I guess just love me forever and ever?” Waverly replies, lilting the statement up at the end as she grabs Nicole’s free hand, peppering small kisses to the back of it.

“I don’t have much of a choice; I’m stuck with you now.” Nicole jokes, glancing at Waverly.

“Yeah, pretty much. Hate to break it to ya.” Waverly says, scrunching up her face.

“Oh, whatever shall I do?” Nicole deadpans.

A silence falls over them as Waverly watches the cars and trees pass out the window and Nicole focuses on getting them where they need to go. In all honesty, she could probably make this drive without even really thinking about it. Hayley lives in Denver, just like the majority of the family, but she’s a bit farther out, in the actual city itself.

“Would listening to the The Wiggles be so bad, though?” Waverly asks, looking over at Nicole.

“Hm? No, I mean, we’re going to have to get used to it.” Nicole says, still watching the road, traffic having picked up a bit more now that they’re getting closer to the city.

“Yeah…” Waverly trails off, sounding distracted as she shifts in her seat, “What if we ended up listening to it for a bit longer than usual, though?”

“What, you think he’s gonna get on some big Wiggles kick or something?” Nicole laughs.

“No, I just mean...I want more kids. I don’t want Warner to be alone.” Waverly says.

“Yeah.” Nicole replies, half-distracted by the traffic and hoping Waverly doesn’t notice.

“I mean, I’ve always wanted a pretty big family; I told you that…” Waverly trails off, looking out the window instead of at her.

They _have_ discussed it- even before Warner was conceived. Of course, those talks were all hypothetical or just in the rounds of getting to know one another. It never really crossed Nicole’s mind, the possibility of having more children. With her family as big as it is, it just always seemed a given that she would have at least a few kids, so when Waverly brought it up, Nicole didn’t even bat an eye at the time.

But then Warner happened and everything else sort of solidified in front of them in one crystal clear moment, and Nicole’s pretty sure they’ve been fucking things up ever since. Though Warner thankfully won’t be able to remember any of it.  

They haven’t revisited the subject of kids, though; not now that they’re still just trying to handle Warner.

Waverly clarifies, “There is no way in hell I’d let you ruin my body again anytime soon, but more kids wouldn’t be a bad thing, right?”

She’s looking at her now; Nicole can feel Waverly’s gaze on her, but she can’t do much more than glance at her wife as she replies.

“Of course it wouldn’t be a bad thing. If they’re even half as great as Warner, it would be the best thing that ever happened to us.” Nicole says, trying to alleviate some of the tension that’s been building in her silence.

“Okay, good.” Waverly says as she looks out her window again.

They're getting closer to Hayley’s building, and it won’t be too much longer now- though Nicole has always hated driving through the heart of Denver.

“Okay, we’re here!” Nicole exclaims cheerfully, trying to psych Waverly up for this endeavor as she pulls into a parking space.

“And at just the right time because I’m pretty sure someone needs a diaper change!” Waverly says, unbuckling her seatbelt as Nicole turns the engine off.

“Oh no, did we forget-” Nicole starts, cutting herself off as she looks at Waverly, who is now wide-eyed with panic.

It’s at Waverly’s literal gasp that Nicole breaks and finally reassures her, “I’m just messing with you; I packed more than enough diapers.”

Waverly swats at Nicole’s arm lightly, “Just for that, you’ve got diaper duty!”

Just as Nicole opens her mouth to argue, Warner starts crying from the backseat and Waverly gets out of the truck. Which leaves her no one to argue with- unless she wants to take the issue up with a crying infant.

Nicole sighs as she unbuckles her seatbelt and gets out of the truck, only to immediately open the backseat and get Warner out of his car seat.

It takes a bit more effort than Nicole would like to get Warner out of his clothes enough to actually get to his diaper. He is unhappily squirming in the backseat, making this take more time than it really should, but soon enough, Nicole has him in a clean diaper and he calms down as she puts his clothes back on him.

“There you go, Bubba. All nice and clean- and hey, you didn’t pee on Mama, so I call this a win!” Nicole says, smiling down at Warner as she rubs his tummy before picking him up.

Waverly is waiting right outside the truck, diaper bag slung over her shoulder.

“Since I changed the baby, you get to handle the car seat.” Nicole says, looking over at Waverly with a smug sense of satisfaction, even though it really doesn’t matter that much.

“You're just saying that because you hate trying to take it out and put it back.” Waverly says, moving past Nicole to get to the car seat.

“Either way…” Nicole grumbles and then trails off, not wanting to admit that Waverly is, in fact, right.

“You just _had_ to put him in suspenders, didn’t you?” Nicole complains about Waverly’s outfit choice for their son and how difficult it proved to be just mere minutes ago.

“He looks like a little man!” Waverly coos, grinning at Warner before unhooking the car seat and motioning towards Nicole with it.

Warner fusses a little bit when Nicole straps him back into the car seat, but she knows it’s for the best, and he soon calms down as they walk towards the building.

Nicole’s immediately grateful for the car seat decision when Waverly grabs her hand in a death grip the moment the elevator door closes on them as they head up to Hayley’s floor.

“Everything will be fine.” Nicole says softly, looking over at her wife.

“Easy for you to say…” Waverly trails off.

“I already told you what to expect.”

“Yeah, and I already called bullshit.” Waverly shoots back, looking down at Warner when she realizes her slip.

“We really need to work on that.” Nicole muses, knowing she's just as bad sometimes. “Like you always say: he’s a sponge.”

“We’ll get it before he starts learning how to speak.”

“Hopefully.” Nicole jokes, and it almost lands before the elevator chimes and stops, doors opening.

Waverly looks like she might throw up and they haven’t even stepped out of the elevator, let alone gotten to Hayley’s apartment.

“For whom the bell tolls....it tolls for thee…” Waverly mutters to herself.

Nicole doesn’t say anything, and it’s taking an immeasurable amount of willpower to not roll her eyes at her wife’s melodramatics, but she’s managing somehow.

“Everything will be fine; you’ll see.” Nicole makes another attempt at reassuring Waverly, but it’s not working because she doesn’t even respond- just stares off into the hallway. “Come on.” Nicole says as she tugs Waverly gently out of the elevator.

Nicole isn’t stupid. She knows Waverly was watching the floor numbers rise as they kept going up and up. She knows that Waverly’s always felt uncomfortable around her family, and a decent part of that is due to money, mainly the money neither of them have. It’s not as if they’re hurting for it; Shorty’s does well to fill the void where Nicole’s salary doesn’t exactly stretch. However, they aren’t exactly rolling in dough, either.

It’s not a long walk to get them to Hayley’s apartment, and Nicole has stopped having to pull Waverly along- she hopes that means she’s calming down. That is, until Waverly’s hand tightens around Nicole’s as she tries to pull away to push the doorbell.

“I kind of need my hand.” Nicole says, looking down at their interlocked hands before flicking her eyes up at Waverly.

“I know, just...give me a second.” Waverly says, taking a deep breath in and exhaling slowly.

Nicole doesn’t reply, she just lets Waverly have her second to herself and smiles when her hand is released.

“Ready?” Nicole asks, and Waverly nods in reply. “Prepare for a shitshow.”

Not long after she rings the doorbell, Nicole hears someone walk up, only to have the door open and find Emily standing there, glancing at them before swinging the door wide and walking back into the apartment, attention focused back on the game in her hands.

“Hey, Aunt Nicole.” Emily says before plopping herself down on the couch, still not looking up from her game.

“Nicole, Waverly!” Hayley exclaims, looking a bit frazzled as she smooths a hand through her hair and walks up to them at the door. “Is it that time already? Well, come on in, I don’t want you standing out in the hallway all day.”

Nicole smiles and greets her sister, having seen this all before, “Hey, Hays.”

Hayley smiles and accepts the half-hug that Nicole offers and then ushers her and Waverly inside. Nicole looks back at Waverly, only to see her looking completely shell-shocked by the utter lack of perfection.

“Please excuse my daughter; she seems to have forgotten all manners thanks to that new game of hers.” Hayley says, closing the door and walking them further into the apartment, past Emily on the couch and over to the kitchen island.

Nicole sets Warner’s car seat down on the counter before sitting down herself. “No worries,” She looks back over at Emily, who is lost to the world, but she tries to strike up a conversation anyway, “What’re you playing, Em?”

Emily doesn’t look up and only grunts in reply. In all honesty, that’s more response than Nicole expected to get from her niece, so she’ll take it. She turns back towards her sister when Hayley starts speaking.

“I should just throw that thing away, I swear. If she’s not playing with that da-” Hayley looks over at Warner sitting on the counter and quickly corrects herself “- _rn_ \- that _darn_ game of hers, she’s tormenting Scar.”

“Eh, that’s what big sisters are for, right?” Nicole asks, smiling.

“Right.” Hayley returns the smile.

“So where _is_ Scarlett?” Waverly asks, picking Warner up out of his car seat.

“She should be out here in a second- but ooh, let me see my nephew!” Hayley says, motioning for Warner.

Waverly smiles as she walks Warner over to Hayley and hands him off to her.

“Oh, look at you!” Hayley says, cooing at Warner as he smiles broadly at her, “Oh, that smile is just-” Hayley cuts herself off, making noises in place of actual words. “And these suspenders, such a little man.” She finishes, continuing to coo at Warner as she sways from side to side.

Waverly and Nicole exchange a glance at the ‘little man’ comment and Nicole knows her wife is feeling rather smug about her outfit choice for Warner. The saying, ‘I told you so!’ is etched in her face as she sits back down next to Nicole again.

“Better be careful, Hays. If Tim sees you with Warner, he might start getting ideas.” Nicole teases.

“Don’t you even start with that!” Hayley shoots back in reply, clearly annoyed by the suggestion, which was what Nicole was angling for, after all. “Oh god, where are my manners? Please, if you guys are hungry or thirsty, I can get you something. Or feel free to just raid the fridge- lord knows the kids do.” She huffs, still swaying slightly with Warner in her arms.

“Thanks. You want anything, Waverly?” Nicole asks, getting up and heading around the island and over to the fridge.

“Water, please?” Waverly asks.

“Can do.” Nicole says, grabbing two water bottles from the fridge.

She hands Waverly her bottle and then places her own down on the counter, “Be right back; bathroom break.”

Waverly almost looks like she wants to say something- argue that Nicole should stay, maybe, but she glances at Hayley, still enraptured by Warner, and seems to decide against it. Nicole gives her a smile she hopes is reassuring and heads off down the hallway towards the bathroom.

Nicole knows that coming into Hayley’s apartment had to have been a shock for Waverly; it was written all over her face. For some reason, Nicole still doesn’t understand why Waverly has held Hayley up as this icon of perfect motherhood, and she’s pretty much resigned herself to never actually understanding her wife’s train of thought on the matter.

Nicole heads into the bathroom, locking the door behind her with a small click as she surveys herself in the mirror. Thankfully, she doesn’t look as wrecked as she feels by the three hour drive here. Nicole walks over to the toilet and lifts the seat before a knock on the door sounds.

“Uh, just give me a sec!” Nicole calls out.

“It’s me, Nicole.” Waverly says on the other side.

Nicole furrows her brow as she walks over to and unlocks the door, opening it to see Waverly standing there for a second before she pushes her way inside the bathroom.

“What are you doing?” Nicole asks, thoroughly confused.

“I thought you- didn’t you?” Waverly stammers, apparently confused, herself.

“Didn’t I what?” Nicole asks, trying to get some information to work with.

“I thought you wanted me to come in here.” Waverly explains.

“Uh, no? I just have to pee.” Nicole says, not sure how Waverly got some sort of invitation to join her in the bathroom out of simply stating she needed to use the restroom.

“Oh, uh, sorry.” Waverly says, blushing from embarrassment.

“You just didn’t want to be out there, am I right?” Nicole asks

“No, I just-” Waverly cuts herself off before she sighs, deflating, “No, not really, and I couldn’t just take Warner, too.”

“I’m surprised you left him out there.” Nicole admits.

“I think Hayley would have physically fought me if I tried to get him from her so soon.”

“Well, go out there and get our baby back so I can pee in peace.” Nicole says, trying to get Waverly to leave- she doesn’t want her sister to get the wrong idea about them.

“Yeah, I um, I’m sorry about this.” Waverly says, again walking towards the door.

“Hey,” Nicole starts, pulling Waverly back towards her, kissing her softly, “It’s okay; it’ll be okay.” She finishes, pulling back from Waverly, who still has her eyes closed for a few more seconds.

“Yeah, I know; you’re right.” Waverly murmurs as she opens her eyes and leaves the bathroom.

Nicole quickly locks the door behind Waverly and does what needs be done as fast as possible- she doesn’t want to chance someone else coming around and interrupting her. When she’s done she washes her hands and looks herself over again in the bathroom mirror. Sometimes she wonders if she should have chosen some other profession, or she’ll contemplate going back to school- though that particular idea dies quickly when she realizes they couldn’t exactly afford it. She worries, more often than she likes to admit, that Waverly will get bored of their small lives in Purgatory. Waverly had all of these big dreams, and then Nicole came around and promptly crushed them, even though she never meant to do anything of the sort.

Being around her family just reminds her of how much she doesn’t have. It’s not as if Hayley or their parents would flaunt anything, and Nicole knows for a fact that if she and Waverly really needed help, that her family would drop everything to help them. In fact, it’s hard to not feel guilty for everything her parents have already done for them, especially financially.

She wanted more for Waverly. She wanted to watch Waverly achieve every single dream she told her that afternoon on Nedley’s couch and every one they talked about afterwards. Nicole planned on giving Waverly the world, as literally as humanly possible, and she’s failed so far. In fact, they aren’t even moving out of Waverly’s hometown. It’s hard to not blame herself, especially when all of the blame should rest squarely on her shoulders. She did this to them. Rooted them in one spot when Waverly has _always_ deserved more than a small town that could never see her full potential.

Gus tried to give Waverly an out, and Nicole’s pretty sure she would have taken it, too if other things hadn’t come up and Waverly hadn’t felt obligated to take care of everyone else before herself. Like always.

Nicole just stares at herself in the mirror, riddled with guilt. She destroyed their lives in small ways, in ways that maybe haven’t exactly caught up with them.

Waverly deserves better, and Warner especially deserves better than this small town that already has some bias against his family. But there’s no option; they can’t afford anything else, and now they’re about to build their own house on the homestead land, cementing them to this fate that Nicole threw them into. It’s not that she regrets them having Warner because she could never regret their son. He is perfection, absolutely and completely. It amazes her every day that he’s theirs, and he’s learning so much. Every day is something new, some small miracle that Nicole couldn’t ever describe properly, just watching this little boy of theirs grow.

But she wanted more for them. More than Purgatory.

Nicole is jolted out of her thoughts when she hears a scream of giggles from the front room. It’s hard to mistake Scarlett when she gets going, and Nicole remembers she has things to do and a family to get back to- her own, in every sense.

Nicole dries her hands and then heads back out into the kitchen, only to be greeted with Scarlett screaming and running around her, excited. She smiles at her young niece and then looks up at Waverly, who is holding Warner again, trying to keep him calm with all of the commotion going on around them.

“Hey, Scar, we gotta be quiet, okay? Baby Warner doesn’t really like loud noises.” Nicole tries to explain as Scarlett runs around her, grabbing on to Nicole’s legs as she tries to stop her momentum.

“Oh, okay!” Scarlett replies, looking apologetically up at Waverly and Warner and then at Nicole, “Sorry Aunt Waverly, sorry Warner!”

Nicole can’t help but laugh a little bit. Scarlett might feel bad, but she hasn’t exactly lowered her volume all that much, either.

“Inside voices, Scarlett Ava.” Hayley scolds, deploying Scarlett’s middle name in hopes of showing her the seriousness of the infraction.

“Okay, Mommy!” Scarlett says in what can only be described as a stage whisper before she runs off.

“Well...we tried.” Nicole says, looking at her sister before she walks over to Waverly and Warner, who seems to be taking this well enough- at least when he’s being held. “He okay?” She asks, running her hand through Warner’s hair and then rubbing his back.

“Yeah, he’s fine.” Waverly says, “Isn’t that right? You’re fine, aren’t you, Baby Boy?”

Warner gurgles in reply, and Nicole can’t wait til he can actually speak.

“Honesty, I’m surprised Scarlett didn’t jump at the chance to hold him.” Nicole admits.

“Oh, just wait….three, two… _and_ …” Hayley says before flicking her wrist as Scarlett comes running back into the room, barely containing her excitement.

“Aunt Nicole, can I hold Baby Warner? Can I? Can I? Please, please, please!” Scarlett asks, bouncing up and down, “I’m five now! That’s old enough, right?”

“I tell ya what, Scarlett. If you go sit down on the couch over there, you can absolutely hold him.” Waverly says, smiling at Scarlett.

In no time at all, Scarlett has scrambled onto the couch, dislodging Emily from where she was seated. Nicole hears the argument starting up, but doesn’t pay it much mind, knowing Scarlett will calm down the moment she remembers she has to behave in order to get what she wants.

Besides, Scarlett isn’t their kid.

“Don't worry, we’re getting her tested next week.” Hayley says, causing Nicole to look back at her sister.

“Uh, what?” Nicole asks, confused.

“The hyperactivity? I swear, that kid needs Ritalin.”

“Wait, do you actually think she has ADHD?”

“I mean, yeah. She acts exactly like Jamie did at that age.”

Nicole looks back at Scarlett, who is happily sitting next to Waverly on the couch, holding Warner in her lap, her feet flexing as she tries to sit still.

“True, but Jamie had more symptoms than just being hyper…” Nicole trails off.

“I know; there’s more going on with Scarlett, too. Her memory is awful. Like earlier, I told her you guys were coming over and it took literally five seconds for her to completely forget that the conversation even happened. There’s other stuff too, but yeah, we actually are getting her tested. For once, that wasn’t a joke.” Hayley says, watching Scarlett and Emily on the couch with a fondness Nicole’s not exactly sure she should be privy to.

The moment is broken when Scarlett yells.

“Aunt Jamie, come see Baby Warner!”

Nicole turns towards Hayley at that, “ _What?_ ”

Warner starts crying, and Waverly takes him from Scarlett, who jumps off of the couch and runs past them down the hallway and returns dragging Jamie by the hand.

“Okay, okay, Kiddo! I’m coming; where’s the fire?” Jamie says, stumbling behind Scarlett and laughing at her own joke.

Her smile falters when she locks eyes with Nicole and then takes in the rest of the chaos going on in the room. Warner is screaming bloody murder as Waverly tries to calm him down, but it’s not actually working.

“Scarlett Ava Branson, what did I tell you about inside voices?!” Hayley yells above the fray.

“But I wanted Aunt Jamie to see the baby, too!” Scarlett whines.

“And you scared your little cousin in the process.”

“I didn’t mean to!” Scarlett argues, though she looks back at Waverly and Warner before turning back to her mother, still seeming defiant, “I just wanted to show-”

“I don’t want to hear it right now. Go apologize to Aunt Waverly and then you’re going in time out for five minutes, understand?” Hayley states firmly.

“No!” Scarlett yells, “It’s not fair, I don’t wanna, I didn’t do anything wrong!”

Nicole watches as Scarlett has a complete meltdown, stomping her feet and screaming before going completely limp when Hayley tries to get her to go to her room. Somewhere in this mess, Scarlett slipped into yelling in Spanish at Hayley as she thrashed around, trying to get away from her mother.

Finally, Hayley returns from Scarlett’s room, looking more tired than she did when they first arrived.

“ _¡Eres un calcetín sucio, Madre!_ ” Is heard from down the hall, muffled by the closed door.

Hayley whips around and glares down the hallway before turning back to Nicole and completely deflating, her shoulders dropping in defeat.

“I know she said something about me, but I don’t actually know _what_ she said. Astrid’s been teaching them Spanish for a while and I’m trying to learn but...Ugh!” Hayley groans before she grabs the fridge door and swings it open, taking out a water bottle and chugging it.

“She called you a dirty sock.” Emily says, walking past Hayley, heading out of the room.

“Oh great!” Hayley says, watching as Emily walks by without any reaction. “One of my kids is a terror, and the other is so disaffected, I don’t know if she’s even in there anymore!”

“Look at that smile!” Jamie says suddenly.

Hayley looks up to see Jamie pulling faces at Warner, who is smiling at her and squirming in Waverly’s arms. “Enjoy it for now. When they learn how to talk, it’s all downhill from there.”

“I don’t think so.” Jamie argues, happily taking Warner from Waverly.

“Yeah, well, when Mom and Dad taught you how to talk, we all regretted it.” Nicole jokes, looking over at Hayley, who still looks wrecked.

“Pssh! You two wouldn’t know what to do without me.” Jamie says, looking at her sisters before giving Warner all of her attention.

“Uh-huh, sure.” Nicole says, rolling her eyes at Jamie, “Anyway, why are you even here?”

“Is that any way to greet your favorite and only little sister?” Jamie asks before Warner starts lightly smacking his lips.

“Okay, that's my cue; hand him over.” Waverly says, quickly taking Warner and walking over to the couch to feed him.

“Sit down and tell me what’s going on.” Nicole says, sitting down at the kitchen island and pointing to the seat next to her.

Jamie looks over at the seat and hesitates briefly before she complies.

“It’s really not as bad as you think.” Jamie starts off.

That’s not exactly a comfort because before that small statement, Nicole really wasn’t sure what to make of this situation.

“You don’t know what I’m thinking, Jamie.” Nicole replies.

Seeing Jamie here was a bit jarring, but Nicole expected an easy explanation. Given the way Jamie is avoiding things and trying to pad the conversation before it ever happens, she’s pretty sure where this is going to go. Jamie’s been a flight risk before.

“Yeah, sure.” Jamie scoffs, running a hand through her hair as she leans against the counter top. “I just couldn’t be around Mom and Dad anymore. I had to get out.”

“So you got kicked out.” Nicole jumps in with her translation.

“No, I just told you I _left_.” Jamie corrects, defenses up.

“Yeah, and that’s usually code for you pissing Mom and Dad off. Did they find your stash or something?”

Jamie shifts in her seat, clearly uncomfortable. But Nicole doesn’t care about her little sister’s comfort with this conversation if she’s done something to upset their parents. Besides, Jamie’s being uncharacteristically quiet, and that just will not stand.

“No, I just didn’t want to be around them is all. I was staying with a few friends before Hayley practically dragged me here.” Jamie grumbles.

“Oh, I’m sorry, did you really wanna stay in that hole in the wall? I mean, you seem to be pretty happy to eat all of my food.” Hayley pipes up.

“Ugh, can you guys just get off my back? I’m not at Mom and Dad’s and it doesn’t even matter that much since I was gonna move soon anyway!”

“What? Where?” Nicole asks, curious now.

“Purgatory, actually. I got a job offer there.” Jamie says.

“What?! I thought you were joking when you said you wanted to move there!” Nicole says, confused at this turn of events.

“I mean, so did I, honestly.” Jamie says, laughing a bit, “But I put in an application and I mean, it would be nice to get away. If I don’t like it, I could always move back here. No harm, no foul.”

“Where are you gonna stay?”

“At the fire station. At least until I can actually move into one of the places I’m looking at.”

Nicole doesn’t say anything- it seems like a decent plan, though the idea of Jamie staying with a bunch of middle-aged men is enough to make her want to offer to have Jamie stay with them. The words don’t leave her mouth, though. She knows that Waverly wouldn’t exactly be comfortable with the idea, given Jamie’s less than stellar reputation. But still, the urge sits there, unspoken.

“Huh, well, okay.” Nicole says, letting the information sink in.

“Okay? No huge lecture about how I’m ruining my life?” Jamie asks, incredulously.

“I think that’s more Hayley's territory, lately.” Nicole jokes, looking at Hayley.

“Har har, very funny.” Hayley deadpans before she straightens up from leaning against the counter. “Speaking of places to live: you and Waverly came over here for a reason, right?”

“Oh uh, yeah.” Nicole says, turning around and looking at Waverly, “Waves, you guys good over there? I think Hayley might try to kill us if we put off looking at her masterpiece any longer.”

“Luckily, Warner’s done and burped so we can go look at what Hayley has _graciously_ done for us. For free” Waverly says pointedly.

“While you guys do that, I could babysit, if you want?” Jamie says, standing up out of her seat.

“Yeah, I think we’ll have some stuff to talk about and this little guy won’t want to stay still for too long. Thanks, Jamie.” Waverly says, handing Warner off to Jamie.

Nicole and Waverly follow Hayley to her studio, which now has more toys strew around it haphazardly than one would assume necessary. Nicole knows Hayley has been itching to get back into her work, even if she quit a few years ago after having Scarlett. Honestly, Nicole was hoping this job might give Hayley the push she needed to get back into the swing of things.

“Okay, so just remember this is a rough sketch and we can tweak it however you guys want, but I think you’ll be happy with what I came up with.” Hayley says, pulling a piece of paper out of her portfolio bag.

“Wow, Hays. You really outdid yourself.” Nicole says, scanning over the sketch.

“It was nothing, really.” Hayley says before going into detail to make some more sense of what they’re all looking at, “Now, what you’re looking at is a sort of rustic ranch style with all the wood and stone. Per Waverly’s request, it has a good sized kitchen, and I know you both wanted an open floor plan, so I accommodated that- I mean, you’ll be out on those acres, and light is just going to fill this place during the day, which should help on energy costs.”

“This...seems kinda big, don’t you think?” Nicole asks, looking over everything.

“Well, yeah, but you wanted five bedrooms, so that thing sort of happens. I can’t work miracles.” Hayley explains.

“I- what?” Nicole says, her heart in her throat.

They did not agree on that many bedrooms. There shouldn’t be any sort of _need_ for that many bedrooms. Nicole looks over at Waverly, who at least has the decency to look guilty as she avoids eye contact, looking back at the sketch and plans.

“H-how much is this going to cost us?” Nicole asks, her voice cracking.

“Um, well, a lot, honestly. I’m not going to throw a bunch of numbers at you,” Hayley says, giving a soft smile, “I know how you get with numbers, but it’ll be a good chunk of change. I mean, you’ve got to account for materials, labor…” Hayley continues, but Nicole’s stopped listening.

This was _not_ the plan. In fact, it seems Waverly changed the plan without even talking to her first, and now Nicole is coming out of her shocked stupor and the anger is starting to build up.

“Um, I think I need some air.” Nicole says, feeling dizzy.

“You okay?” Hayley asks, looking concerned.

“Nicole…” Waverly starts, but Nicole doesn’t stick around to listen any longer.

She walks out of the room and back towards the kitchen, only to find Jamie singing along to some kids show on the TV with Warner in her lap.

“Hey, sis, you okay? You look a little green…” Jamie says, looking up at Nicole.

Jamie. Jamie is there, and she’s good with Warner and she needs a place to stay, right? They might not have the room, but if Waverly gets to make unilateral decisions that affect their lives, then Nicole is going to give herself that same right. Her sister needs her help.

Nicole isn’t exactly proud of the next thing she does, but she finds herself doing it anyway.

“Yeah, I’m fine, fine…” Nicole considers her words for a few seconds before finally just blurting it all out, “You wanna stay with us? I don’t really want you wandering around Purgatory practically homeless.”

“Wait, really?” Jamie asks, shocked.

“Nicole?” Waverly says, walking into the living room behind them.

“Just a second.” Nicole calls out, not looking away from her sister.

“I um, yeah. That would be really great, actually...I mean, Hayley’s okay, but she’s starting to act like I’m her _third kid_.” Jamie says, stressing her last words, maintaining eye contact.

“Yeah, okay, so um, great.” Nicole says, voice clipped and agitated. “Did you hear that, Honey? Jamie’s gonna stay with us. Isn’t that great?”

She doesn’t look up to see Waverly’s reaction, but she hears it all the same.

“Yeah, great, that’s great!” Waverly says, sounding just as agitated as Nicole feels. “Nicole, can I talk to you _outside_ , please?”

Nicole doesn’t say anything, she just turns to face Waverly and then follows her out of the apartment into the hallway. Waverly waits until the door closes behind them both completely before she dives in.

“What the hell was that?!” Waverly seethes, trying to control her volume.

“I think I’m the one who should be saying that. I mean, you decided to change our _house_ without talking to me, Waverly!” Nicole bites back, not caring about how loud she is right now.

“I- we did-” Waverly starts in, but Nicole doesn’t let her finish.

“A five second talk on the way here doesn’t fucking count!” Nicole growls, “You didn’t even decide this then, either. You thought of this before we ever got here. What, did you tell Hayley to change the plans last week or something? Gee, thanks for the heads up, Waverly!” Nicole runs her hands through her hair and turns away from her wife.

“We talked about this!” Waverly argues.

Nicole spins back on her, “No, we didn’t! You just _decided_ ! You decided how our lives were going to go, what they were going to look like, without even consulting me! We’re supposed to be partners in this, Waverly and you’ve just written me out! Do you not understand how that makes me _feel?!_ Am I just some fucking prop to you?!”

“Jesus, why do you keep saying shit like that?! No, you’re not-” Waverly looks around at where they're at and tries to lower her voice, though the anger still shines through. “You’re not a _prop,_ I’m _not_ just deciding everything for us, and besides that, what the fuck did you just do in there? You decided things for us without even asking me, so really, do you have any fucking ground to stand on at this point?!”

“Yes, I fucking do, because that!” Nicole leans into Waverly, pointing at the apartment door, signifying Jamie inside, “Is _my_ sister, Waverly and I have- she’s my fucking _sister_ , Waverly!”

There’s a silence that falls between them, and suddenly Nicole realizes she doesn’t want to be doing this. She doesn’t have the energy for this right now, and besides that, she realizes that they’ve suddenly become the couple that fights in public and...she doesn’t want this.

"You know what? I’m done. I’m not having this conversation here. I’m going back inside and enjoying my time with my sisters while I fucking have it.” Nicole says, pushing past Waverly and heading back into the apartment.

They don’t stay too much longer, knowing they have a three hour car ride back home. The time they do spend there isn’t all bad. Seeing her sisters and nieces again is always nice, and this was supposed to be not only a fun little reunion of sorts, but a productive time where they could discuss the plans about their house. But as it stands, everything has gone to shit and they can’t even fight about it on the car ride back home.

It’s the car ride from hell.

They don’t talk, the radio isn’t up very loud, and Warner is asleep most of the time. There is a palpable tension between them that even affected Warner, who was crying for a while until they kept driving and the motion lulled him to sleep, thankfully.

The moment they get home, Waverly changes Warner into his sleeper and puts him to bed in his bassinet, turning on the white noise machine. Nicole knows this is all in preparation for their fight that they never got to finish, and she’s all keyed up to press play on their second round.

“We need to talk.” Waverly starts in, arms folded across her chest as she stands in the living room across from Nicole, who has taken a seat on the couch.

“Okay, then explain yourself.” Nicole challenges.

“Really? You’re going to be like that?” Waverly asks, stepping forward.

“I really want to hear what you have to say for yourself.” Nicole says, not backing down.

“Look, I know I fucked up, it was stupid of me to just change things without talking to you. I was just scared that you would shoot me down, and-”

“So you just took it upon yourself to do what you wanted, regardless? This isn’t like you decided to get a different brand of toothpaste or something, Waverly! You decided to change _our_ house in big, _expensive_ ways! Without even bothering to _talk_ to me!” Nicole yells, standing up now.

“I know, but-”

“No, you don’t get to just excuse it away! You didn’t even ask me what _I_ wanted! It was all about _you!_ How could you be so fucking selfish?!”

Waverly turns around in a small circle, her hands working through her hair in frustration before she turns around to face Nicole again. “Really? You’re calling _me_ selfish? You’re the one who decided to just invite your druggie sister to live with us when we have a _baby_ and you did it because you were angry with me! Don’t even try to deny it!”

“How the fuck does that make me selfish? And don’t you fucking dare start insulting _my_ family because you really don’t want to go down that road, Waverly, believe me!” Nicole yells, “I am sick of this fucking hypocrisy. I can’t help out my _little sister_ when she needs it because what? Because you don’t trust her? You don’t even _know_ her, Waverly. You’ve never bothered to get to know her!”

Waverly doesn’t say anything, so Nicole continues on, rage bubbling over now.

“Yeah, you can’t even fucking deny it! I bend over backwards for you and your family! I-”

Waverly cuts her off there, “What the hell are you talking about?! I’m sorry that having a life with me has ruined whatever ideas you had about us, but-”

“Would you just shut the fuck up, Waverly?! I have sacrificed so fucking much for you and your family! We’re building a house we will never be able to afford because _you_ wanted to stay in Purgatory to be close to your sister! And apparently, you just up and decided we were going to have like a million kids? Don’t you think I should be around for that conversation?! But that’s not how this works, is it? You decide everything, don’t you?” Nicole stands there, glaring at Waverly, fuming, “You put our family in _danger_ because you couldn’t bear the thought of being away from your sister, who until _recently,_ couldn’t even text you every year on your birthday!” Nicole says, gesturing with her hands.

“That's not fucking fair and you know it!” Waverly argues, but Nicole isn’t listening.

“You wanna talk about unfair? Jesus Christ, Waverly, I’m sick of this shit! Yes, I invited Jamie to stay with us for _at most_ a month or two because she’s still getting her bearings and has nowhere else to stay! But apparently doing _anything_ for me or my family is too fucking much to ask of you!”

“Fuck you, Nicole!” Waverly yells, voice shaking, “I would never do anything to put you or Warner in danger!” Waverly states firmly.

“We’re still here in this shithole little town with a curse hanging over our heads, aren't we?” Nicole bites back.

“No one’s forcing you to stay! If you wanna leave, then just fucking go!” Waverly screams, losing the battle and succumbing to tears.

“I’m not going anywhere; stop trying to push me out the goddamn door!” Nicole argues, losing some of her fight watching Waverly cry, even if she’s crying in anger.

They stand there, chests heaving as they try to sift through their emotions. Nicole doesn’t move, doesn’t say anything. She just lets her words hang between them. The air between them feels charged, as if there would literally be sparks on her fingertips if she tried to touch Waverly right now. But she’s not going to try. She doesn’t want to touch Waverly, and she’s not even sure if she even wants to be in the same room as her right now.

But she’s not moving.

Neither of them have moved.

They’re just standing there looking at one another. Waverly’s wiping at the tears on her face. No one moves away.

“What now?” Waverly finally asks, voice hoarse and broken.

“I don’t know.” Nicole answers.

Warner starts crying, and that seems to root them back into their lives. Waverly doesn’t say anything when she walks out and heads to the bedroom and Nicole doesn’t follow her. She just stands there in the same place, watching Waverly walk past her, Warner against her shoulder, still crying.

Things still don’t feel real. Nicole’s not sure how they’re supposed to navigate everything they’ve just laid out between them. She doesn’t even know where to start, but they can’t just ignore this. They can’t just pretend like everything’s okay because it’s not. It’s not even close to being okay.

“How is he?” Nicole finds herself asking, not making eye contact with Waverly.

“He’s just hungry; he’ll be okay in a minute or two.” Waverly replies easily, still sounding stuffed up from crying.

“At least someone in this house will be.” Nicole says without thinking.

Nicole looks up to meet Waverly’s gaze and she just looks...blank. Nicole was expecting some sort of reaction, some sort of pain, or anger, or just...anything. Instead, she’s found nothing. Briefly, she flashes back to that night in the trailer park, when she had to literally drag Waverly away from a Revenant’s mutilated corpse. She knew there were parts of Waverly that never made it out of there, but it’s jarring now to be face to face with that fact. To realize her wife isn’t the person she’s supposed to be. The Revenants, the curse...this fucking town has taken so much of Waverly, and there is no way Nicole can restore her back to who she used to be. She’s just terrified that one day, Waverly will refuse to be loved at all.

Suddenly, Nicole has the overwhelming urge to just smooth this over, to just forget the look on Waverly’s face right now. Anything would be better than this feeling- this feeling like Waverly is suddenly not solid, like she’ll just slip through Nicole’s fingers if she’s not careful enough.

But she doesn’t have the words. She doesn’t have anything that could fix this- fix them.

“I love you.” The words are out of Nicole’s mouth before she can even register them.

Waverly blinks a few times, and it seems like she’s back- or at least coming back to herself. There are still hard edges and raw emotions, and they aren’t close to being okay, but Waverly still replies.

“I know. I love you, too.”

That can be enough for now. That can be enough to get them through the night, through the week, through the foreseeable future, if need be. Nicole knows she’s probably overreacting, but everything feels overwhelming and hopeless right now and yet at the same time, everything feels fuzzy at the edges, like she is just a spectator to her own life.

“It’s okay if Jamie stays here,” Waverly ventures softly as she sits down and begins nursing Warner. “I’m sorry for- for calling her a druggie that was…I was out of line... about everything. I know I should have talked to you. I was scared, but that’s no excuse. I’m so sorry, Nicole.”

“I’m sorry, too.” Nicole says, her voice feeling distant to her own ears.

She knows she should be saying more, owning up to her own mistakes in this, but the words just won’t come. Everything is muted in her head. She can’t think properly, but somehow she manages to sit down on the couch, a cushion between her and Waverly.

‘I’m sorry, too.” Nicole repeats, not sure if she’s making sense anymore.

Waverly doesn’t press, though and they just sit there in relative silence as Warner nurses and they try to figure out how to fix what they broke in the matter of a day.

“This was not how today was supposed to go.” Nicole says, looking over at Waverly.

“I know.” Waverly agrees, reaching over and smoothing her hand through Nicole’s hair.

“I know you wouldn’t put us in danger- I know you wouldn’t-” Nicole starts, but Waverly shushes her.

“We can talk about it later.”

Nicole’s not sure that’s true. She knows they _can_ talk about it later, of course, but she thinks they won’t. It’s easier to turn a blind eye to all of this. It’s easier to pretend like they’re okay because it’s not as if life stops when they aren’t.

They found that out that first hand when Warner was taken. The world kept spinning. They had to function. They had to move forward because the momentum doesn’t just stop, even if it feels like it should.

“Sure.” Nicole answers with a small smile that she knows doesn’t reach her eyes. “Later.”

Nicole doesn’t sleep in their bed that night. She doesn’t even say anything, just picks up her pillow from the bed and grabs the guest blanket from the closet. The nightmares come back, but there was a part of her expecting it- though not the new twists and turns they took.

Her alarm goes off far too early in the morning, but she doesn’t hit the snooze button. Instead, she gets up and heads for the master bathroom. She passes by Waverly, who's still asleep in their bed, her arm outstretched over Nicole’s side of the bed looking like she fell asleep reaching for Warner in his crib.

Nicole just sits on the edge of the bed. She doesn’t move until she feels Waverly stir and wake up.

“Nicole?” Waverly asks, voice soaked with sleep.

“We need to talk.” Nicole says, her voice hoarse and low from lack of use.

“Okay.” Waverly says, climbing down the bed and pressing a kiss to Nicole’s exposed shoulder before she slides down the bed and sits next to her, “So, start talking.”

Nicole looks over at Waverly, unsure where to start. She opens her mouth and prays what she wants to say finally comes out the right way.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jamie moves in!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the long wait between chapters. I think you guys have gotten used to me being awful about updating by now though. At least I always seem to pull through?

“Hey,” Nicole’s voice is soft and searching as she sits down next to Waverly on the couch, hand going behind Waverly’s neck. Waverly can’t help but lean into the contact, not realizing until this very moment that what she needed was the physical reminder that she is, in fact, not alone.

She just hums in reply, letting her eyes close briefly. It’s not as if she needs to see Nicole in order to hear her. 

“You sure you’re okay with this?” Nicole finally asks, her voice still as gentle as ever.

Waverly’s pretty sure her wife is waiting for her to open her eyes and tell her she has been lying this whole time, but that’s not the case.

“Mm, yeah.” Waverly says as Nicole starts massaging her neck- she’s not even sure if Nicole is aware she’s doing it, but she does not want it to stop. 

“I don’t mean the massage.” Nicole says, laughing lightly.

Waverly opens her eyes at that, “I know what you meant, and I’m fine with it. Really.” 

“But the massage helps my cause, right?” Nicole asks with a grin.

“Well, obviously. It’s not like I can stop what I’m doing.” Waverly says, looking down at Warner, who is still happily nursing. “He gets demand-y.”

“I wonder where he gets  _ that  _ from.” Nicole says, giving Waverly a knowing look.

“I resent that accusation!” Waverly pipes up in her defense.

“I bet you do, but that doesn’t make it any less true.” Nicole says, smiling. 

There’s a small lull in the conversation and Waverly can feel Nicole getting a bit restless, though she thankfully doesn’t stop massaging her neck.

“She should be here soon.” Nicole says, turning towards the front door as if she expects Jamie to just barge in.

Waverly just hums in reply, not trusting herself to speak. She _ is _ okay with Jamie staying here with them, but she’s also worried. Nicole was right; she doesn’t know Jamie at all outside of the handful of times they happened to be in the same place, and those interactions weren’t exactly the best.

Now Jamie will be  _ living _ with them, and Waverly’s still apprehensive to see how that will pan out. It’s already been explicitly stated that there will be no drugs allowed in the house, and Jamie readily agreed. Honestly, the ease with which Jamie agreed shocked Waverly- though she hates to admit that fact.

It doesn’t sit well with Waverly that they still don’t know what prompted Jamie’s disappearing act from the safety of her childhood home, but even Nicole’s parents weren't that helpful. They asked Greg and Judy, but they always found some way to change the subject. Waverly’s trying to chalk it up to them just not wanting to deal with the fact that Jamie's not living with them anymore...but she's not really convincing herself of that.

So, it’s still a mystery, and Waverly can’t pretend that she’s not going into worst case scenarios repeatedly, even now.

“Hayley and Tim wouldn’t have let Jamie stay with them and the girls if it was something really bad.” Nicole says, trying to reassure her. She’s been doing that a lot lately- every time Waverly gives her an opening in a conversation about Jamie.

“Yeah, I know. You’re right.” Waverly says, forcing herself to smile, even if she isn’t entirely convinced.

“I can always set her up at Saddle and Surrey if you’re not okay with this.” 

“Yeah, because then we have to explain why we changed our minds  _ right before _ she got here and she can start things off by hating me.” Waverly says, sighing, “Oh, don’t give me that look. We both know she’d know it was me that called it off...besides, I  _ already _ told you, I’m fine with it... so long as she sticks to the ground rules.”

“She will, don’t worry about that.” 

Waverly is worried, she can’t lie about that. But they have Jamie’s word that she will stick to the rules they have put in place while she stays with them. Beyond that, Waverly has  _ Nicole’s _ word that if anything goes wrong, especially if it endangers any of them, Jamie will be out of the house immediately.

Jamie knows that, too.

That’s why Waverly is hopeful that this will all go well; it’s not as if Nicole didn’t have a point about Jamie staying with Hayley and Tim. But she would just feel better if Jamie opened up to them about what happened- with Nicole, at the very least.  

“So she’ll be here soon?” Waverly asks, looking at Nicole.

“So long as she doesn’t get lost, yeah.” Nicole says as she gets up from the couch.

“And how likely is it that she’ll get lost?” Waverly adds, not actually expecting an answer.

The only reply is the look on Nicole’s face, which somehow nonverbally explains everything.

An hour later, Warner is sitting in his swing, contentedly playing with his rattle and squealing with happiness every time he manages to make a sound with it. Waverly looks over at him and smiles every time he laughs at his own actions. 

A knock at the door interrupts the moment. The noise causes Orie to jump up and run towards the front door barking his head off. Warner starts crying and Waverly is up immediately, binky in hand as she pops it in his mouth, thankful that it seems to be working to soothe him.

“Took you long enough to get here; don’t tell me, you go lost again didn’t you?” Nicole jokes as she opens the door for her sister. Jamie looks a bit sheepish and just gives Nicole a half hug, holding what looks to be a hockey bag over her shoulder with the other hand.

“Hey, Jamie. Glad you’re here.” Waverly says, walking over to them.

Jamie grins and gives Waverly a half hug that almost topples them as she loses her grip on her bag for a second.

“Thanks for letting me stay here.” Jamie says as she pulls away from Waverly and looks from her to Nicole. “You guys aren’t gonna regret it. Promise.”

“We better not.” Nicole jokes, earning a sour look from her sister.

“You can uh, set your bag down in the nursery if you want.” Waverly says, looking Jamie’s mammoth bag over.

“Thanks, I- wait what?” Jamie asks, confused.

Waverly tears her eyes away from Jamie's bag to look up at her as she explains. “Well, I don’t think you’re really going to want to try to sleep on the couch-”

“I don’t think she’d fit.” Nicole interjects.

Waverly shoots Nicole a look at that, “Be nice.” 

“Yeah, Nicole;  _ be nice _ .” Jamie says in her defense.

“Anyway, we can set up the air mattress in there later.” 

“But what about Warner?” 

“Oh, he sleeps with us.” Waverly explains, “It’s easier with him still breastfeeding and everything.”

“Hey man, it’s your house, don’t need to explain it to me.” Jamie says, shifting her bag on her shoulder.

“Yeah, but um, you can set your stuff down in the nursery and Nicole can show you where it’s at.”

“Only room with a crib, right?” Jamie jokes.

“Good god, you sound like dad.” Nicole huffs, walking off with Jamie following after her.

“Who’s this cute little guy?” Jamie says, stopping halfway down the hallway to lean down and pet Orie, who eagerly licks at her hand.

“That’s Orie. Careful, he might lick you to death, the ferocious beast.” Nicole says with a laugh.

Waverly watches them go, already feeling like maybe she should have taken Nicole up on the offer of Saddle and Surrey.

* * *

 

Waverly wakes up before Warner starts crying, and given how early it seems to be, she doubts he’ll wake up for a while. She sighs as she realizes there is no one demanding her attention at the moment. She smiles as she curls up, spooning Nicole.

Nicole shifts a bit and Waverly realizes her wife is actually awake when she rolls over to face her. 

“Good morning, Beautiful.” Nicole says, smiling at Waverly before she leans in and kisses her.

The kiss itself doesn’t last long, but Nicole’s hands have begun to wander and Waverly’s not about to stop her, especially when Nicole’s hand cups her ass and pulls her closer by the hips.

“Well, good morning to you, too.” Waverly says with a laugh as she feels Nicole’s erection pressing into her thigh.

Nicole smiles into their next kiss, deepening it despite morning breath on both their parts. It doesn’t even bother Waverly anymore- it isn’t like this is the first time this has happened. 

She knows they need to be quiet, and now it’s not just a matter of waking Warner, but also a matter of their new house guest. Waverly does  _ not _ want to start things off on the wrong foot with Jamie, if it can be helped. But that doesn’t slow them down; in fact, Waverly’s pulling Nicole closer, letting her nails dig into Nicole’s hip as she tries to get herself that much closer to her wife. Nicole’s attention has moved to Waverly’s neck as Waverly’s started to stroke Nicole’s erection through her pajama bottoms.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” Waverly whispers, her voice breathy.

“I can fix that.” Nicole says, trying to pull her pants down with one hand and only managing to get one side lower on her hip.

“Here, let me.” Waverly says, pushing Nicole back.

Nicole plops down on the bed on her back, lifting her hips enough to help out Waverly, who shakes her head at her wife laying there with her pants tenting and looking far too pleased with herself. But Waverly does tug Nicole’s pants down all the same, Nicole kicking them off of the side of the bed.

“I don’t know how much time we have.” Nicole says, looking down at her.

“Then we better stop wasting it.” Waverly says before she licks a line up Nicole’s shaft. Nicole moans in response and lifts her hips up to meet Waverly’s mouth.

“Quiet!” Waverly whispers, and Nicole’s only response is to nod.

Waverly turns her attention back to Nicole’s cock as she wraps her mouth around the head, swirling her tongue before she sinks down, taking Nicole down to the hilt- or as close as she can manage, at the moment. She pulls back up slowly and then moves back down, repeating the motion a few times, pumping Nicole’s cock at the same time as she comes up and runs the tip of her tongue over Nicole’s slit. 

Nicole’s thigh twitches in response.

“You enjoying yourself, Baby?” Waverly asks, not expecting much in the way of a reply, seeing as she doesn’t even wait for one before she sinks her mouth down on Nicole again, taking all of her this time.

“If you keep doing that, I’m going to come!” Nicole seethes.

Waverly pulls back up and lifts her whole body up, straddling Nicole and rocking herself into her. 

“You like that?” Waverly asks as Nicole’s eyes roll back in her head, “Show me how much you like it, Baby.”

Nicole grabs Waverly’s hips, steadying her as she thrusts up, her erection sliding against the silky fabric of Waverly’s pajamas that are, unfortunately, still between them. 

“God you’re making me so wet, Baby.” Waverly moans softly.

“Fuck, you feel so good.” Nicole says, her voice deep, a mixture of arousal and sleep.

“Quiet, Baby,” Waverly gently chides, leaning down to kiss Nicole, “Be quiet and fuck my brains out.”

Nicole rocks her hips into Waverly, and Waverly closes her eyes, just letting herself feel the moment. She knows they need a condom, but it can wait just a little longer- she still has to get undressed, after all. But then she hears Nicole blindly reaching over to the nightstand, and her heart pounds faster in anticipation.

Of course, that’s the exact moment their son wakes up. Warner starts crying, and for a split second, Waverly wants to join him because this was just so damn good and now it has to end before even really starting. 

“Maybe next time.” Nicole says with a sigh and a smile as she kisses Waverly’s cheek before Waverly moves to get up off of her and tend to Warner.

“We  _ are _ going to continue this later.” Waverly says, looking over at Nicole, who hasn’t moved quite yet- not even to grab her pants.

“I sure hope so.” 

“I’ve got to feed him, so go take a shower and cool down.” Waverly says, situating Warner as he starts to nurse.

By the time Nicole comes out of the shower, steam rolling into the bedroom as she opens the door, Waverly is burping Warner. She’s thankful they learned from Nicole’s early mistake and have since kept burping cloths on hand.

“There you go, little man. Feel better now?” Waverly asks, rubbing Warner’s back.

“Time to face the music.” Nicole says, buttoning the shirt of her uniform.

“Do you think she’s even awake?” Waverly asks, though she’s almost certain sleeping on their air mattress couldn’t have been comfortable.

“Only one way to find out.” Nicole says, opening the door of their bedroom and leading the way out.

The sounds of pots and pans clamoring together is what draws Waverly’s attention first, then comes the smell of whatever is being cooked. Waverly can’t help that her immediate reaction is to hope that Jamie hasn’t ruined her cookware.

“Good morning!” Jamie says as they enter the kitchen, grin plastered on her face. “I hope you like frittatas ‘cause I’m makin’ frittatas!”

“Who are you and what have you done with my sister?” Nicole deadpans, walking over to Jamie’s side to see what she’s doing. 

“There’s a fresh pot of coffee, so do us all a favor and get a cup.” Jamie says before looking over at Nicole and patting her cheek before continuing, “You’re not you when you don’t have your coffee”

Nicole swats at Jamie’s hand and then does, in fact, go pour herself a cup of coffee.

“God that smells great, Jamie!” Waverly says as she walks over to Nicole’s side, her stomach growling in the process.

“Thank you! You didn’t have everything I needed so when I went out for my jog this morning-”

“Your what?!” Nicole interrupts over the rim of her coffee cup.

“My jog. What? You think this body happens naturally?”

“What’s in those?” Waverly asks, bouncing Warner who has fallen back asleep.

“Well, we’ve got some onion, ground turkey, kale, and a little bit of garlic.” Jamie lists off the ingredients as she slices out portions, putting some on a nearby plate. “They’re ready now if you guys wanna dig in.”

Waverly moves to grab the plate but Nicole beats her to it and heads out to the dining room. They sit down to eat and a few seconds later, Jamie comes out to join them, plopping down in the seat next to Nicole. 

“This is delicious!” Waverly says after taking a bite, hoping she doesn’t sound too shocked but knowing she probably does, regardless. 

“At least someone around here can appreciate my efforts.” Jamie says, shooting a look at Nicole, who just takes an overly aggressive bite of her frittata before blindly grabbing the bottle of hot sauce from the middle of the table and practically drowning her food in it.

“Go ahead, I wanna see you eat that.” Jamie says, raising an eyebrow in challenge.

Somehow their nice breakfast has become a pissing contest. Waverly just wanted to enjoy her meal for five seconds.

“Baby, do not eat that, you’ll just make yourself sick!” 

Nicole doesn’t say anything. Her facial expression doesn’t change at all as she just stares at her sister, not even bothering to look at her food as she aggressively and pointedly eats forkfuls of her breakfast.

“Oh my god, you are ridiculous!” Waverly says, unable to break herself away from the scene unfolding at her dining room table.

Nicole’s nose has started running.

“Enjoying your  _ fri-tta-ta _ , Sissy?” Jamie asks, smugly over-pronouncing the word frittata.

Nicole doesn’t respond, just eats the last of her food.

Waverly leans down the slightest bit to Warner sitting in her lap, “Your Mama is insane; do not be like her.” She kisses the top of his head and straightens back up, trying in vain to enjoy her meal.

“Oh hey, Waverly, don’t worry about the dishes, I’ll take care of them.” Jamie says, drawing her attention away from Nicole and almost seeming like a normal human being.

“Um, okay, thanks.” Waverly says, finishing up before Warner has a chance to start grabbing at her plate.

Nicole takes their plates into the kitchen and Waverly walks in to find her sneaking some milk, drinking directly from the jug. 

“Oh, come on!” Waverly groans, causing Nicole to jump before she sheepishly caps the milk and puts it back in the fridge .

“Don’t tell her.” 

“Just go to work, Nicole.” Waverly sighs, done with all this nonsense.

“I won’t be working late, promise.” Nicole says, kissing Waverly quickly before passing by her to head out of the kitchen.

Waverly follows after her to see her off at the front door where Nicole says a proper goodbye to her and Warner both, yelling her goodbye to Jamie into the house.

Waverly walks back into the kitchen to find Jamie washing the plates from breakfast, actually impressed she has seemed to keep her word. Neither Hayley nor Nicole painted a very flattering picture of Jamie over the time that Waverly has tangentially known her. But then again, she’s not sure she would be able to give anyone a completely unbiased picture of her own sisters if they asked.

“So I have to drop by the bar in a little bit and I was wondering if you’d wanna tag along? Maybe get a better feel for the town.” Waverly offers.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Jamie says, drying her hands on a dish towel. 

“Okay, cool. Just let me go get changed and get this little guy ready and we can head out.” 

“Mhm.” Jamie hums before straightening up, “Oh, before I forget!” 

Jamie moves past Waverly and returns quickly, carrying a prescription bottle. Waverly had stuck around, unsure as to what exactly Jamie didn’t want to forget, thinking maybe it had something to do with her, but now she’s just confused.

“Sorry, almost forgot to take these!” Jamie says, rattling the pills before filling a glass of water and swallowing two.

Waverly wants to ask what Jamie just took, given her history with drugs and the rules they have agreed upon, but she’s also not exactly sure how to broach the subject without sounding like a complete asshole.

“Don’t swallow your tongue, Waverly. It was just my ADHD meds. See?” Jamie says, holding the bottle out to Waverly, “Prescribed to me and everything.”

“Oh, I didn’t know.” Waverly says, feeling awful for jumping to conclusions and apparently being so obvious about it.

Jamie just shrugs, “Runs in the family, what can ya do?” 

“Not much, I guess.” 

Waverly manages get dressed and ready to go with minimal interruptions from Warner- though he did need another diaper change in the midst of everything else. Finally, they are both situated and dressed, ready to head out. Now it’s just a matter of waiting on Jamie.

Once out in the living room Waverly puts Warner in his swing and sets it on low before she walks over to Orie’s food bowl, only to find it a quarter of the way full.

“Jamie?!” Waverly yells to get her sister-in-law’s attention.

“Yeah?!” Jamie yells back, leaning out of the nursery.

“Did you feed Orie?” Waverly asks, looking over at Jamie who is walking towards her now.

“Oh, yeah, after he and I went on our little run, he needed some sustenance. I may have broken him, though; he’s all tuckered out. Isn’t that right, Or?” Jamie asks, looking over at Orie, who is lying on the couch, his head hanging over the side.

Waverly looks at him only to see his tail wagging happily in response, though he doesn’t move beyond that.

“Well thanks, that helped out a lot, actually. I feel bad he hasn’t been getting as much attention as he used to before Warner arrived.”

“Well that’s par for the course with babies, right?” Jamie asks.

“Yeah. Doesn’t help the guilt, though.” Waverly admits.

“Eh, he’ll get over it. Just give him a few doggie treats.” Jamie says with a shrug.

“So, you ready to go?”

“Yeah, lead the way.” Jamie says, gesturing with her arms.

The drive to the bar isn’t eventful, though Waverly never assumed it would be. There isn’t much to talk about and it’s a relatively short drive. Once they park, Waverly gets Warner out of his car seat and they head inside. 

The morning crowd is rather non-existent, though there’s no mistaking the man sitting at the bar talking to Devon.

“Jake?” Waverly asks, walking up to the bar.

Jake looks back and grins at her, “There’s the cutest bartender ever!”

“The fuck, dude?” Jamie says, walking up next to Waverly, giving Jake a look.

“I-uh, what? The baby, I meant the baby.” Jake explains.

“Uh-huh, sure. Cos that’s not creepy at all.” Jamie says, trying to take Warner from Waverly.

“Jamie!” Waverly scolds, keeping Warner with her.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend your wife.” Jake jumps in.

“My what?!” Waverly says, turning towards Jake.

Jamie is laughing her ass off and trying to compose herself enough to say, “Oh dude you’ve got it  _ so _ wrong!”

“She’s my sister-in-law.” Waverly corrects.

“Yeah, wrong redhead, my guy. I’m way hotter  _ and _ taller...all around better, really.” Jamie says with a shrug.

“Um, okay?” Jake says, sounding thoroughly confused by everything that is currently happening.

Warner starts reaching out for Jake, cooing in his direction.

“Well, it looks like you’ve got yourself a fan. Guess flattery  _ does _ work.” Waverly says, looking down at Warner. “Do you wanna hold him?” She asks, looking at Jake.

“Really? Yeah, sure.” Jake says, smiling wide as he takes Warner. “Hi there, little guy.”

Waverly can’t help but laugh as Warner’s eyes go wide when he gets close to Jake's face and then immediately grabs onto his nose.

“Devon, do you have the inventory order forms I need to sign?” Waverly asks, remembering her reason for coming down here in the first place.

“Oh yeah, they’re in the office.” Devon says, heading upstairs to what used to be Waverly’s apartment.

“Keep an eye on him.” Waverly says, turning towards Jamie.

Jamie nods solemnly, “Gotcha. Make sure he doesn’t run off with the kid. I am  _ on the case _ .”

There were a few more forms that needed her attention than Waverly anticipated, but they make it back down to the bar soon enough. Waverly comes back to Jamie now holding Warner, talking with Jake.

“So, I hear you’re building your own house?” Jake says as Waverly walks up beside Jamie.

“Uh, yeah, where’d you hear that?” Waverly asks, looking over at Jamie.

“Quite the endeavor. You know, if you need any help, I’m a contractor and since we’re  _ such _ good friends now, I could even tack on the ole friends and family discount.”

“Wait, really? That would be amazing!” Waverly says before she feels Jamie’s hand on her shoulder.

“Slow your roll, Cowboy. We don’t even know how good you are. We gotta keep our options open. Maybe we’ll take you up on the offer, maybe we won’t.” Jamie says, moving closer to Jake, her intimidation tactic ruined by the baby in her arms.

“ _ We _ ? Jamie, you are not a part of this.” Waverly says, taking Warner back. 

“I meant the proverbial we! Besides, I still have a valid point!” Jamie argues, “And I have to be substitute Nicole since she’s not here.”

Waverly sighs but concedes Jamie’s point, remembering the conversation she had with Nicole on the very subject of making decisions as a couple. “Well, Jake, do you have a card or something?"

“As a matter of fact, I do.” Jake says with an easy smile, pulling his wallet out and taking a card, handing it to Waverly.

“Thanks. I’ll be sure to get back to you one way or the other.” Waverly says, pocketing the business card.

On the way out of the bar, Jamie turns to her, “Okay, you need to explain what the hell that was back there.”

“What do you mean?” Waverly asks, defensive as she buckles Warner into his car seat.

“Come on, Waverly, that guy was givin’ off some vibes that I did  _ not _ like. How much do you even know about Bigfoot in there?” Jamie asks, opening the passenger side door and climbing into the truck.

Waverly waits to reply until she’s actually in the driver’s side, door closed behind her as she buckles up. “Bigfoot?” She asks, confused.

“Well yeah, he’s huge and hairy; what else am I gonna call him?” Jamie poses the question like it’s a no-brainer.

Waverly sighs and looks over at Jamie, “He’s the grandson of the doctor that delivered Warner. His family’s been in town for a while.”

“So, you grew up with him?” Jamie asks, still sounding suspicious.

“Well, no. Actually, I didn’t even know Dr. Reynolds had a grandson until he showed up.” Waverly says, feeling her stomach churn a bit, Jamie’s suspicions getting to her.

“Yeah, a likely story for a serial killer.” Jamie says, looking out the passenger window before turning back to Waverly. 

She can feel Jamie’s eyes on her, but she’s too focused on the road to look at her, “He’s not a serial killer, Jamie. Geez, where do you get this stuff?!”

“Trashy cable TV, like any civilized human being, duh.” 

“Good god.” Waverly groans before they pull into their own driveway.

“I’m just saying, have Nicole run a background check on him before you take him up on any offers. I mean, there’s gotta be some perks when you marry a cop, right?”

“Yeah, I guess you’re right. I’ll talk to Nicole about it and see what she has to say, but getting a bit of help right out of the gate couldn’t hurt, especially if he knows what he’s doing.” Waverly says, getting Warner out of the truck and heading inside the house, Jamie following after her.

“Yeah, well, his experience has yet to be seen. I’m just sayin’...total stranger comes to town and decides to get all chummy with you- you just can’t be too careful.” Jamie says as she walks through the front door and closes it behind her, only to be greeted by Orie, who is jumping off of the couch and running towards her.

“Traitor.” Waverly says, glaring down at him but breaking into a grin as he comes bounding up to her, begging to be pet. “Never can stay mad at you.” She says, knowing she was never even mad in the first place as she leans down, petting him.

The morning went by fairly quickly, Jamie helping Waverly clean the house a bit and then heading out for yet another run, complaining about feeling restless. Waverly couldn’t bear to break the news to her that the restless feeling is just a side effect of Purgatory as a whole.

* * *

 

It’s around noon now, and Waverly’s lying down on the floor on her stomach, facing Warner, who is in the same position, though not very happy about that fact. He’s gotten a bit better about tummy time now that he can hold his head up, but it’s still not his favorite activity. 

Waverly’s pretty sure he’ll get a kick out of it once he can roll over. She’s sure he’s so close to that, too, given how much he wiggles and rocks from side to side.

“There you go, Buddy!” Waverly coos, excited as Warner continues to rock from to side.

Her excitement is cut short as Orie comes running up and starts licking her face, a small furry bundle of excitement himself.

“Ugh, Orie no! Stop, stop!” Waverly grumbles, pushing Orie away from her and Warner.

Thankfully, Orie complies, though Waverly knows she is partly to blame since she got down on his level. 

“I promise we’ll go out and play soon.” Waverly says, petting Orie before she snatches up his squeaky cheeseburger and tosses it down the hallway.

Orie scrambles to go get the toy, his feet scraping against the hardwood, trying to make purchase on the floor. Since he hasn’t exactly mastered the mechanics of fetch, Waverly’s not exactly worried about him returning anytime soon.

“Okay, where were we?” Waverly says, smiling down at Warner who seems absolutely distraught at life, still being on the floor.

“Oh, it’s not that bad, baby boy.” Waverly says, stroking her hand through his hair that continues to come in.

Warner whimpers in response and Waverly can’t help but laugh. At the sound of her laughter, Warner smiles and squirms on the floor, his hands flexing towards her.

“Okay, okay, I know what you want and you’re in luck because tummy time is over.” Waverly says, scooping Warner up in her arms as she sits up, lavishing him in kisses.

Waverly’s attention is immediately brought to the front door as it opens and Wynonna storms in. Waverly gets up, Warner still clutched in her arms, trying to ignore the hard pounding of her heart. 

It’s just Wynonna; they’re still safe.

“Well, thanks for knocking!” Waverly says, standing in front of Wynonna, giving her sister an annoyed look.

“Waverly, if you don’t want me to pee on your nice hardwood floor, you will get out of my way  _ right now _ .” Wynonna bites out as she pushes past Waverly and heads down the hallway, closing the door to the bathroom a bit roughly.

“Nice to see you, too…” Waverly mutters as she stands there, looking down the hallway.

She spots Orie wandering out of her and Nicole’s bedroom. His squeaky cheeseburger is in his mouth, and the moment he sees her, he darts back into the room, the toy squeaking as he does.

“Uh, okay.” Waverly says, smiling at the weird antics of their dog, who still very much thinks he is a puppy.

Waverly sets Warner in his swing and turns it on low as she sits down on the couch, waiting for Wynonna to finish up in the bathroom. Thankfully, it doesn’t take too long before Wynonna comes back into the living room looking a sight less frantic than she did a few minutes before.

“Sorry about that, but these two like to kill my bladder at every opportunity.” Wynonna says before she plops down on the couch next to Waverly.

“No worries. I’m just glad you didn’t ruin my floors.” Waverly says, laughing.

Wynonna’s laughing, too but sobers when she replies, “You laugh, but it was a real possibility after that half hour drive.”

They keep laughing until Waverly’s stomach hurts and she has to try to rein herself in. It’s just so nice to be in the same room as Wynonna- she’s missed her big sister.

“Hey now, don’t you have some news? You guys learned the genders a couple of weeks ago, right? It’s passed the point where I have to be polite and not ask, so spill!” Waverly says, looking at Wynonna with a grin.

“You could have asked at any time, baby girl. You know that.” Wynonna clarifies.

“Well, I wanted to give you three some time with the news and we had a lot going on here, too. I mean, we  _ are _ going to be building a house.” Waverly says, trying to not remember the fight with Nicole or the uncomfortable conversation the next morning.

They talked things out, came to agreements, and Nicole has been doing her best to make up for things (as has Waverly), but that doesn’t mean the wounds aren’t still fresh. 

“Oh yeah, how’s that going?” Wynonna asks, perking up.

“Oh no, don’t you dare try to change the subject!” Waverly says, trying to steer them back in the right direction, “Come on, you’ve gotta be dying to tell me!”

There’s a shift in the air during the small silence that has fallen over them, something Waverly will never be able to properly pinpoint, but she notices all the same. She can feel her smile falter but quickly tries to put it back in place- this is supposed to be a happy time, after all. Waverly  _ is _ happy for her sister, especially if her hunch is right.

“Let me guess; two girls, right?” Waverly asks, hoping her voice doesn’t betray her.

Wynonna glances away and that’s all the confirmation Waverly needs.

“I didn’t want to tell you…” Wynonna says, looking back at Waverly.

“What? Why?” Waverly asks, though she knows the answer.

“The whole  _ town _ knows the answer to that, Waverly.” Wynonna states simply. “Don’t play dumb; it’s never suited you.”

“Wynonna,” Waverly starts, grabbing for her sister’s hand, “It’s fine, really. I am so,  _ so _ happy for you.” She squeezes Wynonna’s hand as she adds, “And Doc and Dolls, too, of course.”

“Can’t forget them, can we?” Wynonna says, squeezing Waverly’s hand back.

“Speaking of them, how're they taking the news of two little girls?”

“They are over the moon about it, honestly.” Wynonna says, laughing at what Waverly can only assume are memories.

“I bet they’ll be fun to wrangle in at the hospital. Neither of them will know what to do with themselves. They're both going to be in the delivery room with you, right?”

“About that... I’m actually planning on having a home birth.” 

“You’ve got to be sh-” Waverly catches herself, but there’s no proper substitute, so she changes gears altogether after she clears her throat, glancing at Warner before looking at Wynonna, “Did- Did Willa put you up to this or something?” 

“No,” Wynonna looks down before looking back up, her hand falling away from Waverly’s, “Well I mean, it was her idea at first, but- I looked into it and-” Wynonna takes a deep breath in and exhales shakily.

Waverly waits, knowing there’s more; she can see it in her sister’s face.

“I can’t go back to a hospital. Not after-” Wynonna cuts herself off again, shifting in her seat, her hand going to her stomach, “Not after Jack, and everything that happened.”

Waverly opens her mouth to speak, but she’s grateful that Wynonna beats her to the punch because she’s not even sure what she should say at this point.

“I’m not stupid, though. If I don’t go past 37 weeks, no midwife worth their salt would deliver at home, and I know that I’ll have to go to a hospital but...it’s my last resort. Especially if The Crypt Keeper, Eugene Reynolds, tries to lay his bony hands on me.”

“Sounds like you’ve got a solid plan, then.” Waverly says, smiling at her sister.

She never thought Wynonna would be one for a home birth, especially with twins, but given everything she has gone through, it makes an uneasy amount of sense. Waverly just wishes Wynonna didn’t  _ have _ to grapple with trauma on top of giving birth.

“Did you know Reynolds’ grandson is actually in town?” Waverly says, trying to change the subject.

“Oh my god, he has a grandkid?” Wynonna asks, sounding scandalized by the news.

“I wouldn’t really call him a kid...he looks more around your age.” Waverly says, enjoying the horror that crosses Wynonna’s face.

“Oh my god, I was just kidding about him being ancient but Jesus, how is that man still alive?!” 

“Wynonna! Don’t say stuff like that!” Waverly scolds, the small town mentality she grew up with rearing its unwelcome head.

“Or what, he’ll keel over? Waves, come on!” Wynonna says, laughing before she looks around the living room, “Hey wasn’t Jamie supposed to be here? She  _ did  _ move in yesterday, right?”

“What are you guys like best friends now?” Waverly asks, giving her sister an incredulous look.

“Would it be so bad if I had someone to talk to outside of this insane family of ours?” Wynonna answers with a more serious response than Waverly anticipated.

“What? No! I mean, if you guys are actually friends, that’s great!” Waverly quickly tries to mend her statement.

“I know, Waves. I was only screwing with you. But she did text me that she was on her way here yesterday.” Wynonna says with a laugh.

“Yeah, she got in last night; she’s out ‘exploring the town’ right now...whatever that means.” Waverly says, using air quotes.

“Probably raising hell.” Wynonna replies.

“I hope not. Nicole does not need to babysit her sister.” Waverly says, shifting in her seat on the couch.

“Well, for now you’ve got a built-in babysitter, right?” Wynonna asks, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.” Waverly says with a smile, looking down at Warner who is sleeping in his swing. “I just hope this whole thing works out for all of us.”

* * *

 

Waverly is in the living room with Warner in her lap as Gilmore Girls plays on the TV, Orie is lying next to her on the couch half-awake, though perking up as he hears the door unlock. It only takes a second for him to jump off the couch and head towards the front door. 

Waverly doesn’t bother pausing the show to turn back at look at Nicole as she enters the house. This is nowhere near Waverly’s first viewing of the show; she could probably recite whole scenes if someone asked- though no one ever would.

“Hey, Stranger!” Waverly says with a grin at Nicole as Warner starts flexing his hands in her direction.

Nicole looks up at her and then moves past the living room and down the hall to their bedroom. Waverly doesn’t immediately go to see what’s going on, simply because she knows Nicole will be back out here soon enough, and if she wants to talk, they’ll talk.

Waverly’s right, it doesn’t take Nicole too long to come back out into the living room, having changed into pajamas. She then goes to the kitchen, wordlessly getting a beer from the fridge and sitting down in her recliner. Waverly’s worried now, but there’s not much she can say- not with the threat of Jamie walking in at any second.

And as if she can read minds, there’s Jamie, who stops dead in her tracks in front of Nicole’s chair and surveys the scene before scoffing, loudly.

“What?” Nicole asks, sounding irritated as she looks up at Jamie.

“You just look exactly like Dad, is all.” Jamie says, flicking her eyes at the beer in Nicole’s hand.

“Yeah, well, I didn’t ask.” Nicole says, taking a swig of her drink.

It takes about five more minutes before Waverly finally huffs and is absolutely over Nicole’s pouting. Jamie has busied herself in the kitchen and Waverly is grateful for that fact as she walks over to Nicole and hands Warner to her, placing him on her chest.

“I think you need baby cuddles.” Waverly says, “He missed you today; we both did.”

Nicole doesn’t protest when Waverly makes a show of taking the beer from the side table next to her chair. She’s too preoccupied with Warner, who is gripping her shirt with all his might as he burrows in closer to her. Waverly walks to the kitchen and puts the beer in the sink, not pouring it out just yet but really not being the biggest fan of Nicole’s choices right now. Not without knowing what’s going on, at least.

“You okay?” Waverly asks when she walks back into the living room, voice soft.

“Yeah, just tired; it was a long day.” Nicole says, looking up at Waverly with a smile, “I’m sorry for being a jerk when I first came in.”

“Don’t worry; you’ll make it up to me.” Waverly whispers, leaning into Nicole.

Nicole blushes a bit and smiles before turning her attention to the television. It’s not too long after that when Jamie tells them goodnight and heads into the nursery. It’s still wild to think that Jamie is actually  _ staying _ with them. Though Waverly suspects one of the things keeping her busy today was that Jamie was looking at apartments to rent. 

“Ready for bed?” Waverly asks, looking over at Nicole, who is still in her chair, though most of her attention is focused on Warner, who is sound asleep, his hand still gripping Nicole’s shirt.

“I think someone is, yeah.” Nicole responds, looking up at Waverly.

“Oh, you will be, too.” Waverly says before turning the television off and heading to their bedroom.

Nicole follows close after, carrying Warner carefully in her arms before she sets him down in his bassinet and he thankfully doesn’t even stir.

“So, how was your day?” Nicole asks as Waverly walks up to her, hands sliding under her shirt.

“Mm, it was okay. Jamie was actually helpful and I might have found us a contractor- after you do a background check on him, that is,” Waverly says, laughing at Nicole’s raised eyebrows, “It’s a whole thing. Jamie thinks that Dr. Reynolds’ grandson is actually a serial killer.”

“Can we _please_ stop talking about my sister?” Nicole asks, leaning down and kissing Waverly.

“You’ve gotta make up for this morning, Baby.” Waverly says, pulling back, “You left me all frustrated. Feel.” She pushes Nicole’s hand down the front of her pajama shorts.

“God damn.” Nicole breathes out, leaning into Waverly, rubbing circles over her clit through her panties.

“You do this to me, Baby. Make me so wet for you- mm, just like that, Baby, keep doing that.” Waverly says as Nicole fingers pick up the pace.

Nicole complies and Waverly leans into her, placing all of her weight on her as she moves up to her tippy toes, her thighs twitching as Nicole hits certain sensitive spots. Her grip tightens around Nicole, and they’re almost hugging as Nicole keeps rubbing circles over her clit. But while this feels amazing, this wasn’t entirely what Waverly had planned.

“Get on the bed.” Waverly orders, and Nicole looks a little taken aback but, complies all the same.

Immediately, Waverly mourns the loss of Nicole’s hands on her, but she has a plan, god damn it, and she’s determined to go through with it. She climbs on the bed and up to Nicole, kissing her fiercely before pulling away, giggling as Nicole tries to lean in more and kiss her again, eyes still closed.

“So eager tonight, Baby. Good. Stay that way, I’ve got a little surprise for you.” Waverly says, scooting off the bed and walking over to the dresser, quickly getting out an outfit before Nicole can see. “I’ll be right back.”

“I’ll be waiting.” Nicole says, watching Waverly hungrily, stroking herself through her sweatpants.

“God, you’re so fucking sexy.” Waverly says as she walks into the bathroom before she closes the door behind her.

It doesn’t take too long to get into her cheerleader outfit, remembering the conversation they had a while ago about Nicole wanting to see her in it, someday. Thankfully, Waverly can still fit into her old uniform by some miracle, and as she looks herself over, she actually likes what she sees in the mirror. She’s not just seeing the mom she’s become, but herself as a sexual being, knowing just how she plans on them defiling this outfit tonight.

“Okay Baby, I’m ready for you.” Waverly says, but immediately deflates as she sees Nicole passed out on their bed. She supposes she should have seen this coming, but it hurts all the same. She wanted things to get back on track with them and this really felt like a step in the right direction, especially knowing how much Nicole had showed interest in this exact scene when they first got together.

Waverly knows Nicole didn’t fall asleep on purpose, but it still feels like a rejection as she changes back into her pajamas and crawls into her side of the bed. So much for feeling like more than just Warner’s Mommy. Maybe that’s all she’ll ever be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, two things: 1. It has always been a personal headcanon of mine (especially for this verse) that Waverly was a cheerleader in high school (in fact it seems legit canon now but this was before the season 2 trailers came out) so, the cheerleader thing was a thing for me before the trailers. I need everyone to know that.
> 
> 2\. If you're not picturing Tyler Hoechlin as Jake Reynolds, you're not picturing Jake Reynolds.


	7. Chapter 7

Waverly wakes up to Nicole’s hand on her shoulder. She’s fully dressed in her uniform and Waverly can’t help but enjoy the sight, even though she really just wants to fall back asleep.

“Hey.” Waverly says, smiling up at her wife, though she knows she’s not really awake at this point.

“Morning, Baby. I’ve gotta head out now; you gonna be okay?” Nicole asks.

“Mm, you should just stay here today.” Waverly hums, tugging at Nicole’s fingers on her free hand.

“Wish I could, but duty calls.” Nicole says, straightening up and pulling her hand away gently.

Waverly doesn’t put up much of a fight, seeing as Warner isn’t even awake yet, as far as she knows. Though, of course, the moment she thinks this, he starts to whine in the bassinet next to her.

“I got him; he probably just needs a diaper change.” Nicole says.

Waverly sighs and buries the side of her face into her pillow, sleepily watching Nicole as she picks Warner up and walks him over to the dresser where the changing mat is still sitting. That’s where the scene ends as Waverly falls back asleep.

She doesn’t sleep long- she knows as much when she wakes up, the bedroom quiet and safe in its familiarity. Waverly lies there for a few more seconds, trying to wake herself up and get enough energy to actually pull herself from the comfortable cocoon of her bed.

“Okay, we’ve slept in enough, Sleepyhead. Time to get up.” Waverly says as she pulls herself up and at the same time, reaches over and into Warner’s bassinet, fully intent on taking on his wrath from being woken up.

Her hand hits the bottom of the bassinet and immediately Waverly is on red alert, tearing herself out of bed and looking into the bassinet as if it will give her some different scene. It doesn’t. 

Warner is gone. 

She doesn’t even bother with her clothes, tripping over herself as she runs out of the room, fumbling with the handle of the bedroom door. She spills out into the hallway and falters trying to right herself as she enters the main room. Her heart feels like it’s in her throat. This can’t be happening again. They’ve been so careful, this  _ can’t _ be happening.

The moment Waverly sees Jamie feeding Warner in his high chair, she can’t help the sob that falls from her mouth. He’s okay. He’s safe. They’re fine. 

“Waverly?” Jamie asks, her smile immediately falling as she sees Waverly standing there and probably looking a mess.

“I woke up and he-” Waverly chokes out, her hand going to her mouth as she tries to calm down.

She’s shaking.

“Oh, um, yeah. Nicole said she woke you up. I’m sorry, she um- she brought him out here- it’s avocado day!” Jamie says, smiling weakly and holding up the small jar of baby food she made herself.

“I’m sorry. I just- he was gone and I forgot-” Waverly cuts herself off, not trusting herself to speak. 

She’s not even sure what she should say, standing there in her pajamas that aren’t even fully covering her. Her shirt is riding up and twisted around. She knows Jamie must think this is an overreaction, and she wouldn’t be  _ wrong _ , but Waverly can’t help how she feels. 

Warner was gone. She reached for him and he wasn't there.

“Well, I um- I’m just gonna to pretend like I have something to do in the kitchen until you’re okay. Sound good?” Jamie asks, voice gentle.

Jamie pats Waverly’s shoulder as she passes by and Waverly manages to keep herself together until it’s just her and Warner in the room. As soon as Jamie is gone, Waverly is in front of Warner, picking him up from his high chair.

“You had Mommy worried, little boy.” Waverly says, cradling him to her chest, leaning down and smelling the top of his head.

He doesn’t comply long, and soon enough, he’s squirming and fussing and Waverly knows he probably wants to get back to his breakfast that she so rudely interrupted. 

“Okay, okay, I know what you want.” Waverly says as she places him back in his highchair, thankful they managed to get one that reclined.

“Jamie!” Waverly calls, and it only takes a few seconds for her sister-in-law to meander back into the dining room.

“You okay?” Jamie asks, leaning against the wall.

“Yeah, sorry about that.” Waverly tries to brush off this whole incident with a laugh, and Jamie smiles but Waverly’s not sure she buys it.

“It’s fine.” Jamie says with a small nod before turning her attention to Warner, “Now, little man, you’ve got a meal to finish!”

Waverly steps back and lets Jamie resume feeding Warner. They both enjoy it and it gives Waverly some time to actually  _ do _ things- though given everything, she doesn’t feel like leaving just yet. So instead, she’s hovering. 

Warner spits out some of the food Jamie is feeding him and Waverly can’t help but laugh a little at her jokingly offended reaction, but soon he’s swallowing down another spoonful happily. 

The meal doesn’t last long- Warner has a small stomach, after all- and Jamie turns and looks at Waverly from her seat before she gets up and takes the jar of baby food with her. Waverly picks Warner up and starts rubbing his back, just enjoying having him close to her.

“Ooh, there you go, Warner! Such a good boy.” Waverly coos as Warner burps.

“Hey, Waves?” Jamie calls from the kitchen.

Waverly goes into the kitchen, holding Warner, who seems much happier now, having been fed and getting all the attention from his Mommy. 

“Yeah?” Waverly asks as she walks through the doorway into the kitchen.

“There’s food, if you want. A.K.A. you  _ should _ want because it’s delicious and really, what else are you going to eat?” Jamie almost challenges.

“You don’t have to cook for us every day, you know. We can manage on our own.” Waverly says as Jamie looks back at her.

“Oh, I know, but…” Jamie trails off before she turns around and leans against the oven, looking at Waverly now, “Wanna know a secret?” She asks, leaning in dramatically and cupping her hand around her mouth.

“Uh, sure?” Waverly answers, not sure in the slightest.

“I have no idea how to cook for just one person, honestly. I learned from Mom and she cooks to feed an army, even now when it’s just-” Jamie cuts herself off before she clears her throat and continues, “-her and dad.”

“Jamie, if you want to talk-” Waverly gets cut off there.

“Hey now, give me that little Booger so you can get yourself presentable, yeah? Take a shower or eat- or heck, do both at once if you wanna be wild and by wild, I mean very, very sad and worrying- okay, scratch that two at once thing, you gotta pick.  _ Buuut  _ hand over that baby.” Jamie says, motioning for Warner.

Waverly just laughs and shakes her head, “You know, I’ve actually gotten to feel like a person this past month since you’ve been around.” 

“I know, I’m amazing. Keep the praise coming.” Jamie says with a grin as she dramatically fans herself.

“Just take him while I take a shower.” Waverly says as she hands Warner off to Jamie.

“Oh look, Warner! Your Mommy fell for my diabolical plot! Now you’re all mine, you cute butt.” Jamie says, taking Warner and waving his arm before she practically smothers him in loud, overdramatic kisses and he laughs at the attention, flailing a bit.

Waverly tries to ignore the sharp pain that shoots through her at Jamie’s joke- it  _ is  _ just a joke after all.

“Mm, you know you can’t keep him. What would you do with a baby, anyway?” Waverly asks, attempting nonchalance.

“Pull all the ladies, of course! He’ll be my perfect little wingman; isn’t that right, Warner?” Jamie asks, looking at Warner, who gurgles in reply.

“You two are going to be a force to be reckoned with, aren’t you?” Waverly absently asks.

“Now, go! Off to the shower with you!” Jamie yells, smacking at Waverly with the dish towel she got off of the handle of the oven.

“I’m going, I’m going!” Waverly says, holding her hands up in surrender as she walks out of the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom.

Waverly closes her bedroom door behind her and stands there for a few seconds, just looking over their disheveled room.

They haven’t really gotten around to cleaning. Things just come up- usually having to do with Warner, which means there are piles of dirty clothes in the corner of the room and burp cloths almost everywhere. Unfortunately, her housekeeping has taken a hit, as has Nicole’s. They have excuses, and they make sense, but it's still not something Waverly is proud of. Though at least they will hopefully be able to retire the burp cloths soon enough, seeing as they have already started introducing solid foods into Warner’s diet.

They haven’t completely weaned him yet, but they are getting closer to that, and Waverly is honestly a bit relieved. She also feels immensely guilty for being relieved, but she’ll be grateful for the day she finally feels like her body belongs to her again. She sighs and pushes herself off of the door as she walks over to the dresser and picks out an outfit. It’s going to be another t-shirt and jeans kind of day, especially with what she has planned.

Waverly takes her clothes into the bathroom with her and sets them down on the closed toilet seat as she starts the shower. She knows it won’t take long for the water to warm up, but she plans on taking the small opportunity to really look herself over in the mirror. 

Her clothes pool at her feet as she strips. She kicks her pajamas to the corner of the bathroom and now she’s standing there naked. Pregnancy has changed her body, and she’s still getting used to that fact. She knew it would happen, and she thought she had prepared for it. The issue was she never really prepared for what would become of her body  _ after _ giving birth.

It all made sense when there was a baby inside of her. It was all about caring for Warner. Her body was allowed to do whatever it needed to maintain his life, and now she’s left with what happened. It’s not all bad- more different than anything else, but it has left her with insecurities, given how much she worked on her body before her pregnancy. She knows she can get that back. She knows her body can change for her just like it did when it changed for Warner. But some things will never be the same. 

Waverly’s fingers trail over the stretch marks on her stomach. It’s a tumultuous relationship she has with these various changes. Some days she can appreciate them, love them as reminders of Warner and carrying him inside of her, protecting him in a way she could never find words for. But there are other days, when she realizes her hips are wider, and she knows her breasts will never be the same, and she worries that maybe she will never love herself as completely as she should. 

There is also a part of her that worries about what Nicole sees when she sees her, but she could never venture to ask.

Steam starts to fog the mirror, causing Waverly to turn her attention back to the shower. This was the whole reason for coming in here, after all. She steps into the shower and pulls the curtain closed behind her. She gets under the water’s spray and pushes her hair back before she lets the water hit her face for a few seconds.

Her mind is racing with so many thoughts that it’s hard to catch just one. Things have gotten a bit better around the house with Jamie helping out and picking up not just Waverly’s slack, but Nicole’s as well. 

Waverly frowns at the thought of Nicole as she turns around and lets the water hit her back before she opens the shampoo bottle and starts lathering her hair. 

Nicole has been working so much lately, taking 12-hour shifts at work, and while it makes sense, it’s still been weighing on them. She comes home exhausted every night, and Waverly can’t help but feel a bit rejected when their conversations fall flat and they just end up going to sleep.

Waverly rinses her hair and grabs the body wash, lathering up and then working it over her body. She lets the suds wash off of her, and watches as they float down the drain before she steps back and lets the water run over her head as she trails her hand down her torso. She leans her head forward as her fingers slide over her clit and she takes a deep breath in. She’s spent so much time waiting for Nicole, waiting for the right time, waiting for her wife to see her as more than just set decoration.

Waverly is tired of waiting and she is going to take matters into her own hands.

Literally.

Her fingers find just the right spot as she rubs circles over her clit, her thigh shaking with her ministrations. It doesn’t take long before she’s gasping and then clumsily grabbing for the shower head, pulling it down and positioning it between her thighs.

Her thoughts go straight to Nicole and what she wishes she would just do one night. Waverly loses her balance a bit, her back hitting against the wall of the shower, but that only fuels her fantasies more. She pretends it’s Nicole slamming her back into the wall. She pretends it’s Nicole’s nails raking over her thigh. She thinks about Nicole’s mouth on her clit.

Waverly gasps as the shower head slips the slightest bit and in her re-positioning, the water’s spray hits her clit full-force.

“Fuck me, Baby.” Waverly whispers, trying to keep her voice down while still enjoying everything that’s happening.

She wants Nicole on top of her, inside of her. She  _ needs _ Nicole. 

Her mind conjures up a scene, wondering just what Nicole would do if she walked into the bathroom right now. Waverly likes to think of Nicole rubbing her erection through the pants of her uniform as she watches. She wants Nicole desperate for her just like she is for Nicole.

Waverly wants to make her wife watch until she can’t take it any longer, stepping into the shower and taking her right on the spot, hard, rough and unforgiving. She wants Nicole to claim her, to show her just who she belongs to- leave marks, even. She wants Nicole deep inside of her, fucking her until she can’t scream anymore. Her throat raw, her thighs shaking, and her chest heaving, until she is nothing more than Nicole’s little whore.

Waverly comes, gasping at the thought of Nicole coming inside of her. She loses balance as her legs give out from under her and she slides down the wall, hands steadying her descent into the tub, the shower head pointing upward into the air as the water goes cold.

After a few seconds, Waverly regains her composure enough to pull herself up and turn the shower off. She dries off, leaving the shower head abandoned in the tub. It’s not as if she isn’t aware that her actions are going to be obvious to Nicole when she walks in, but that’s sort of the point. 

Waverly sets out to actually get ready, but in the middle of brushing her teeth, the need to pee gets too strong to ignore. So now she’s brushing her teeth while sitting on the toilet, peeing. This is what her life has become. All she needs now is Warner screaming bloody murder from the other room, with Orie barking his head off to complete the descent into total domestic chaos.

Thankfully, that doesn’t happen- though a few seconds later, a couple of little tabby paws make their way underneath the bathroom door, pawing frantically.

“Ugh, why do you always do this? Go away, Whiskey!” Waverly grumbles, toothpaste dribbling down her chin.

Whiskey meows in protest.

“I don’t care, go away and let me pee in peace!” Waverly argues.

She is met with another meow, louder and angrier this time, as Whiskey’s paws materialize under the door again. Waverly huffs and wipes before standing up, dropping the seat lid down and flushing the toilet.

“Okay, fine!” Waverly says as she opens the door.

Whiskey looks up at her for a few seconds before turning tail and leaving.

“Sometimes I hate you.” Waverly deadpans, glaring at Whiskey, who pays her no mind.

* * *

 

The moment Waverly steps into Shorty’s, she immediately relaxes, and she hadn’t even realized she was tense before, but her shoulders drop and she feels like she can actually breathe here. 

Devon is wiping down the bar and beams when he sees her.

“Hey there, boss lady!” Devon says, greeting her warmly, “Boss baby.” He adds as he sees Warner on Waverly’s hip.

“Hey, Devon. How’re things going here?” Waverly asks, more to make conversation than real concern.

The bar is dead- as it  _ should _ be this early in the morning- they haven’t exactly opened yet. 

“Weeeeell-” Devon only gets that far before Tito walks up to the bar and cuts him off.

“Oye, do  _ not _ listen to a word out of my boyfriend’s mouth. He is a dirty gossip and does not need to be encouraged.” 

“Uh, what?” Waverly asks with a laugh, looking from Tito to Devon.

“You encourage all of my dirty habits, though.” Devon purrs, sidling up to Tito.

“We are at  _ work _ !” Tito argues before pushing Devon away.

Devon, for his part, laughs at Tito letting himself be pushed away before turning his attention back to Waverly and leaning against the bar. “I have gossip that I am one hundred percent  _ sure _ you are going to want to hear.”

“Can it wait until we get our actual jobs done?” Tito asks, setting down the bar glasses he had been carrying.

“Champ Hardy knocked someone up!” Devon bursts out, apparently unable to contain his excitement.

“Wait, what?” Waverly asks, taken aback.

“They set the wedding for June- talk about a shotgun wedding, but I mean, given Trisha’s parents, I guess it was inevitable.” Devon continues talking.

Waverly’s reeling as she tries to process all of the information dumped on her, “Wait, Trisha? Trisha who works here? Trisha Miller, the pastor’s granddaughter, who _ I _ hired?”

Devon is grinning like an idiot as he nods in confirmation.

“Huh…” Waverly says as she shifts Warner up a bit on her hip.

She doesn’t know what to say to any of this, and she’s not even sure what she’s feeling anymore. It’s strange to realize that Trisha’s life could have been her own if she had just done what Champ had asked of her and settled.

“I know,  _ right _ ? Aren’t you glad you dodged _ that  _ bullet?” Devon asks, laughing.

“Yeah.” Waverly answers simply before she snaps herself out of it and remembers just why she came here in the first place. “I’m gonna have a look around the place. Can you get those glasses set up?”

She doesn’t really wait for a reply before she walks to the kitchen. Tito walked back here after setting the glasses on the bar and Waverly wants to ask if he needs her to order anything. She finds him cleaning the grill and hangs out in the doorway, still not comfortable taking Warner into the kitchen, even if nothing is happening in there that poses an immediate threat.

“Hey." Waverly says, trying to get Tito’s attention.

“Hey, you doin’ okay? I know Devon can be kinda…well, Devon.” Tito says, flailing over his explanation.

“I um, yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Waverly asks, feeling a bit defensive now.

“Maybe because you and that boy went round and round for a few years and this whole stupid town thought it would be you walking down an aisle with him at the end?” Tito says, giving Waverly a look she can’t meet him for.

“Yeah, it’s just...weird.” Waverly admits, uncomfortable.

There is a part of her that is relieved to not be in Trisha’s shoes. But there is another part that thinks maybe her own life isn’t actually as different as she would like to believe. She may not have settled for Nicole, but there is this nagging feeling that maybe they have both settled for the life they’re living.

“Eh, I give them a year. Two max.” Tito says with a shrug, “You were always too good for him, Waverly. Anyone with any sense could see that.”

“I know. It’s not about him- not really. It’s just weird to realize that could have been me.” Waverly says, but she knows that’s not the whole truth.

“No, it couldn’t have been. You were meant for more than Champ Hardy.”

“And I found it.” Waverly says, smiling at Warner. 

“Now, what brings you back here to my domain?” Tito asks with a laugh.

“Well, I was wondering if there was anything I needed to order soon? I don’t need hungry drunks in my bar.” Waverly says, smiling back at Tito.

“Ah, so you want a list of my demands! Lucky for you, I’ve already written them down...somewhere.” Tito says, dropping the brush he was using to clean the grill and then looking around the kitchen.

“How does Devon put up with you?” Waverly playfully asks.

“Many years of practice.” Tito answers easily. “Ah, here it is!” He says, getting the list off of the freezer door and handing it over to Waverly.

“Cool, thanks. I’ll make a few calls and make sure we get this in by the end of the week.” Waverly says, scanning over the list.

“So, what’re your plans for the day because I do  _ not _ want you hovering around here all-” Tito cuts himself off, gesturing towards all of Waverly, vaguely.

“Don’t worry; after this, I’m heading out. But don’t you forget who runs this place, Felipe.”

Tito’s hand goes to his chest as he gasps dramatically, “You wound me! I could never! Also, not in front of the child! I am  _ Uncle Tito, _ not Felipe.”

“And on that overdramatic note, I’m leaving. Don’t burn the place down!” Waverly says as she turns around and walks back out towards the exit.

“I wouldn’t burn the place down, I don’t have a stake in the insurance claim!” Tito yells back in reply through the service window.

* * *

 

Waverly pulls up to the homestead. It’s still a little jarring driving through the Earp archway, no matter how many times she’s done it as of late. 

“Okay, Sweetheart, we’re almost here. We’ve got a deal, remember? You be good while we’re at Aunt Wynonna’s and I’ll play the Gilmore Girls theme for you on repeat until Mama gets home.”

Warner doesn’t acknowledge her, too preoccupied with the rattle in his hands as he starts sucking on it. Waverly eyes him in the rear view mirror before she turns her attention back to the dirt road in front of her. 

The drive up to the homestead is always a little eerie for her, even if things have changed drastically since her childhood. There are so many memories soaked into this land, and the vast majority aren’t that good- even the moments she enjoyed as a child seem tainted now- especially those times with Bobo.

She tries to shakes herself out of her thoughts as she pulls into the driveway and parks the truck. Warner fusses a bit as she gets him out of his car seat, but once he realizes he can still play with his rattle, he settles down- though he does start hitting Waverly with it.

“Oh great, is this going to be your new pastime?” Waverly asks, disgruntled.

Warner only continues hitting Waverly with the rattle, laughing at the sound.

“I guess I should have seen it coming.” Waverly says before she walks into the house.

“There’s my favorite little man!” Wynonna says as she walks up to greet them.

“Hey there, Nonna.” Waverly says upon seeing her sister, who enters the room stomach first, “Whoa, look at you!”

“Yeah, I’m Shamu. Really observant there, baby girl.” Wynonna scoffs as she wordlessly takes Warner from Waverly.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-” Waverly cuts herself off, not really knowing what to say.

“Just don’t let Willa hear you talking like that.” Wynonna says, making silly faces at Warner as they walk into the living room and sit down on the couch.

“Let me hear what?” Willa asks, walking down the stairs.

“Oh, nothing. Waverly’s just fatshaming me.”  Wynonna says casually.

“Way to be a dick!” Waverly seethes, glaring at her sister.

“Waverly, you know better than that! Wynonna is going through the miracle of pregnancy- you of all people should respect that!”

“Oh my god, I do respect that! What are you-” Waverly cuts herself off, leaning into Wynonna, “What has she been reading?!”

Wynonna shrugs as much as she can as she responds, “She found a lot of those crunchy granola mom blogs and I swear I am never going to hear the end of the benefits of leaving the vernix on the baby- or in this case, babies.”

“What the-” Waverly gets cut off there as Willa drops the box she was carrying down the stairs onto the landing and walks over to them.

“You know whispering doesn’t do any good in this house.” Willa says, looking down at them.

“Doesn’t stop me from trying.” Waverly replies, challenging her sister and feeling more like a child than she has any right to feel.

“Clearly.” Willa huffs, sitting in the chair beside the couch.

“What’s with the box?” Waverly asks, looking over at the box that Willa abandoned and then back to her.

“I’m moving out.” Willa states simply.

“What?! I figured you would want to stay here- I mean, you’re all about helping Wynonna now, and-” 

“Speaking of helping, you’re clearly on some sort of baby kick. Just please promise me that you and Kevin are using protection or this town is going to start talking about all of us procreating like rabbits.” Wynonna cuts in.

“Oh, it’s not an issue; Kevin’s sterile.” Willa says, adding, “And besides, neither of us want children, anyway.”

“Wait, did he just tell you that the first time you guys had sex because ‘I’m shooting blanks’ is the first line in the  _ d-bag  _ handbook!” Wynonna whispers the non-expletive, looking down at Warner.

“He showed me his medical records when I asked and no, we used protection the first time we made love-” Willa is cut off there by Wynonna making a  _ very _ loud gagging sound, complete with facial expressions.

“Real mature, Wynonna,” Willa chides, “I can’t believe _ you’re _ going to be a mom with how you act sometimes.”

“Oh, believe me, with these two squirming around in there, I’m not about to go doubting it.” Wynonna says, her free hand on her stomach.

“Wait, I thought you said you were going to wait to move until all of the Revenants were taken out?” Waverly asks, confused.

“I was, but there isn’t going to be enough room here soon and you’re moving onto the land, too. You guys should be safe until Wynonna can get back on her feet, and I can always come back pretty often- it’s not like Kevin is going to keep me captive.” Willa says with a nonchalance that hits Waverly down to her core.

“Willa…” She trails off, wincing at the thought of Bobo and what Willa has gone through, but she’s not even sure what to say to any of this.

Thankfully, Willa just brushes right past her concerns, “I can make a few trips back here after the twins are born. I can make those a few hunting trips if I have to, Waverly. It’ll be okay.”

“I guess.” Waverly says, not entirely convinced, but there’s no point in arguing. She’s not going to try to get Willa to stay- not if her sister is set on leaving. Willa deserves to have a life of her own and as weird as it is, Kevin seems to be a good fit for her. So they’ll just have to deal with this development as it unfolds. 

Now more than ever, Waverly is grateful they have decided to build a house on the Earp land. 

“So, you ready to head out?” Wynonna asks, looking over at Waverly.

“Yeah, yeah.” Waverly agrees, nodding as she writes out a quick text to Nicole telling her she is over at the homestead and asking her to drop by on her lunch break.

She gets up from the couch and takes Warner from Wynonna while Willa gets up from her seat to help Wynonna up. Wynonna and Waverly make their way out of the house after Willa elects to stay behind to continue packing up her things.

“Okay, if I’m honest, I’m not going to miss her living here.” Wynonna says as they start the walk over to the foundation of Waverly and Nicole’s house.

“What?” Waverly asks, a bit shocked at the admission.

“Oh, don’t give me that look! She’s starting to hover like...all the time! I love her, but god she can be a lot to handle. Especially since she’s obsessed with the twins right now and doesn’t want me to do like  _ anything _ in fear of... I don’t know, screwing things up? I don’t need a parent.” Wynonna explains, “Besides, I would like to watch my boyfriends have sex and not worry about my sister hearing.”

“Oh my god, did you have to bring that up?!” Waverly groans.

“Well, it’s true!” Wynonna argues as they continue walking, “I mean, I can’t help but enjoy looking at my two extremely hot guys just-” Wynonna cuts herself off, going glassy eyed as she looks off into the distance and growls, grabbing the air as she balls her hand into a fist in front of her.

“Ew, stop, please!” Waverly begs, not wanting to hear any more of this.

“Well, if you want to start talking about your sex life with officer Haughtpants, feel free.” Wynonna offers up with a shrug.

“Never call her that again.” Waverly grumbles as she glares at her sister.

“Ooh, speaking of hot….” Wynonna trails off, motioning in front of them.

Jake is currently stripping off his shirt on the construction site and Waverly can’t say she hates the sight of him.

“He’s hairier than I would have expected.” Wynonna muses, her eyes trailing down Jake’s torso.

“Jamie calls him a walking bear skin rug.” Waverly offers, not taking her eyes off of Jake as they walk up to him, passing by the rest of the crew who are working around them.

“Yeah, well, Jamie’s not exactly his target audience.” Wynonna shoots back in reply before they get within earshot of Jake.

“Waverly, Wynonna!” Jakes says, grinning at them as he spots them, “Excuse the dust, yeah?”

Jake laughs at his own joke and Waverly looks around the site. There are members of the crew milling around, some applying something to the foundation walls while others are discussing things or installing various things.

“Hey, Jake. So where are we?” Waverly asks, finally looking back at Jake.

“Yeah, okay, so the foundation has cured and we’re just applying the waterproof membrane to the walls and installing the plumbing we discussed before. The drains, sewer, and water taps have already been installed. Basically, we are right on schedule and we have an inspection set for next Wednesday.” Jake explains.

“Do we need to be here for that? I’m not sure if Nicole can make it, but I can carve out the time if need be.” Waverly says, trying to see what she needs to do at this point beyond throw money at everything.

“No, no, I’ll be here when the inspector comes and I’m sure it’ll go just fine. If it doesn’t, I can always call you or Nicole.” Jake clarifies with a smile.

“Yeah, and if all else fails, I can turn on the ole Earp charm.” Wynonna offers, bumping shoulders with Waverly.

“Wynonna, you are six months pregnant with twins.” Waverly says, looking at Wynonna incredulously.

“Hey, there are some guys into that!” Wynonna justifies herself.

“Oh my god.” Waverly replies, rolling her eyes at her sister.

“Well, if you ladies will excuse me, I have to go check on a few things. Have to keep this place working like a well-oiled machine!” Jake says as he walks over to a few of the crew members who are installing something.

“I know something that should be well-oiled over here.” Wynonna says as she watches Jake’s ass as he goes.

“Pull yourself together, woman!” Waverly seethes in a whisper, trying to reign Wynonna back in.

Just as she turns back towards Wynonna, she sees a familiar face coming up behind them.

“Nicole!” Waverly says, beaming at her wife.

“Hey, Waves.” Nicole says, returning the smile as she looks at Waverly and then Warner.

“Well, now that the missus is here, I can take my leave...and ogle the hot pieces of man meat as I go.” Wynonna says, wolf whistling at a few of the crew members as she heads back to the homestead.

“Wow, she didn’t even last five seconds before objectifying them.” Nicole says, watching Wynonna.

“Pregnancy does that, I guess.” Waverly muses, watching her sister walk away.

“Oh yeah? You seemed to only have eyes for me when you were that far along. Unless there was something you weren’t telling me?” Nicole jokes, pulling Waverly closer.

“No! I mean, I can’t pretend Joe Manganiello wasn’t on my mind a few times, but that was only when I heard ‘I Want It That Way’” Waverly replies, matching Nicole for her joke.

“I swear, I will destroy that DVD some day.” Nicole deadpans.

“Fine, but you will rip my True Blood box set from my cold, dead hands.” Waverly shoots back.

Nicole groans in reply.

“Oh, hey Nicole!” Jake says, bounding up to them, smiling, “Nice to see you. Did Waverly fill you in on everything, or should I?” 

Nicole looks Jake up and down quickly before replying, “I’m sure Waverly can handle it, but from the looks of things, everything’s going alright?” She lilts her statement up at the end, but looks at Waverly for confirmation, not Jake.

“Yeah, yeah, everything is right on schedule!” Jake says, not seeming deterred at all.

“Glad to hear it.” Nicole says, finally looking at Jake again, “I mean, this is what we’re paying you all our money for.” 

Waverly’s not exactly sure when the mood shifted, but something has obviously changed. Nicole’s jaw is clenched and Waverly can’t help but feel this has somehow turned into some sort of bizarre powerplay.

“Well, I’m doing everything in my power to make sure things are running smoothly here. We have an inspection next Wednesday, and-” Jake gets cut off there.

“When is it? I should probably be here for that.” Nicole states, glancing at Waverly before returning her attention to Jake.

“It’s around 10am, but you really don’t have to-”

“No, it’s fine. I want to know what’s going on with our house.” Nicole says, pulling Waverly just the tiniest bit closer.

“Alright, well, I guess I’ll see you then, but I actually have to get back to a few of the guys now, so we can talk later. It was really good seeing you, Nicole, Waverly, Warner. Oh, I gotta say I love the Colorado Rockies! Maybe you’ve got a future baseball star on your hands” Jake says, glancing at Warner’s outfit before he dashes off.

Nicole watches Jake go before she turns back to Waverly and Warner, “The baseball onesie? Let me guess, Jamie?” She says as she takes Warner.

“Yeah…” Waverly trails off as they start walking back towards the homestead.

It takes a few minutes of relative silence before Waverly ventures to speak.

“What was that back there?” 

“Hm?” Nicole hums, looking at Waverly now, “What do you mean?”

“You were acting weird.” Waverly says, a bit annoyed now.

“I wasn’t trying to. I just- Jake seems a bit too friendly with you...I’m not too sure how comfortable I am with that- with him.”

“ _ Seriously _ ? He was friendly with you, too! I mean, do you not trust me?” Waverly asks, defensive.

“Of course I trust you, Waverly! It’s him I don’t trust. I mean, I see the way he looks at you and come on! It’s like sixty degrees out! Taking his shirt off seemed a bit much!” Nicole says, trying to defend herself.

“Wynonna was the one making passes at people! She was the only one out of line out there- that is, until you came along and made this a pissing contest that no one asked for!” Waverly bites back in reply.

“I-” Nicole starts but stops herself, sighing before she takes a deep breath in, “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“You  _ did _ mean to, though.” Waverly corrects.

“I mean, yeah, I guess I did, but I am sorry, Baby. I don’t want to argue, especially not when I have to go back to work like... as soon as we get back to the cruiser. Can we just put this to rest for now? We can talk more about it when I get home. I don't want to fight; I’m tired of fighting.” Nicole finishes, her voice soft.

Waverly deflates a bit at the admission because she knows how that feels, but she’s still angry. She didn’t do anything wrong and neither did Jake. It’s not as if Nicole has any ground to actually stand on, and reacting like a teenager to an imagined threat isn’t going to get them anywhere she wants to be.

“I’m tired of it, too.” Waverly admits, “But more than that, I’m tired of these outbursts when they’re not warranted! We’re adults, Nicole; we have a son. We need to be setting a better example and you need to actually trust me and not take your frustrations out on other people who haven’t done anything!”

“I know, I’m-” Nicole starts, but Waverly doesn’t want to hear it.

“Don’t apologize again. I don’t want another apology, I want things to  _ change _ . I want you to actually trust me because I deserve it. You can talk all day about how it's actually Jake you don’t trust, but what it really boils down to is you don’t trust  _ me _ enough to take care of myself.” Waverly says, annoyance only building with every word.

“That’s not-”

“If you’re trying to say it’s not true, it is! There’s no two ways about it. Someone can only be a threat if the other person allows it, and you think I would. You honestly think I would do something like that?!” Waverly’s voice is getting louder now, but they’re far enough away from the construction site and the homestead that she’s not too concerned.

“I don’t know what you want me to say, Waverly!” Nicole huffs.

“Maybe I don’t want you to say anything, Nicole.” Waverly bites back as they continue walking towards the homestead and the cruiser.

“Fine, whatever you want, Waverly.” Nicole replies, sounding so very done before she continues and softens the tiniest bit, though that isn’t saying much. “Look, we can talk about this tonight. For now though, I’ve got to head back to work.” 

“Fine, I’ll see you at home.” Waverly says, voice clipped as she waits for Nicole to say her goodbyes to Warner.

“Bye-bye, Warner. I hate having to leave you; I hate it so much. But this’ll be good for all of us in the end, I promise. Mama loves you sooooo much, to the moon and back.” Nicole whispers, peppering Warner with small kisses as she speaks.

Warner, for his part, is grabbing Nicole’s nose or cheek whenever she gets close enough for him to try, and she can’t help but laugh at that. Waverly is dreading taking Warner back from Nicole. It’s going to hurt.

Finally, the moment comes, and Nicole hands Warner back. He immediately starts crying and grabbing for Nicole the moment she disentangles herself from him.

Waverly wants to die. 

Though, this is a torture they go through daily, which is why lately they’ve been discussing foregoing the daytime visits they have dubbed ‘Mama time’ but neither of them are strong enough for that. Waverly can’t stomach keeping Warner away from Nicole, even if it tears them both apart to hear him crying for her.

Nicole doesn’t look back as she walks away and gets into the cruiser. It’s not until she’s started the engine that Nicole looks at them both, eyes falling to Warner almost immediately.

Though Warner isn’t exactly paying attention, still fussing in Waverly’s arms, now grabbing at her boobs because she knows on top of all of this awfulness, he’s hungry. Of course.

* * *

They don’t talk about much when Nicole gets home, and a part of Waverly knew they wouldn’t. It’s easier to let these things slide by them when Nicole comes home looking so ragged. Waverly doesn’t want to pile even more onto Nicole’s plate. 

So they don’t talk beyond a “Trust me” and an “Always” and a few “I love you’s” before Nicole heads to bed, Waverly not even having to usher her there this time. Nicole could hardly keep her eyes open when she was holding Warner.

Waverly can’t sleep yet. She’s been lying in bed next to Nicole, who has been fast asleep for a while. It’s helped with a couple diaper changes and Warner’s last feeding, but Waverly really just doesn’t see sleep happening tonight.

All she wants is for things to stop feeling so difficult for just five seconds. Being in this house feels more like a countdown than anything else. She wants out, she needs out, _ they _ need out and they’ve still got a long way to go before they can get into their own house on the Earp land.

Waverly’s stomach growls and she finally relents and gets up, thankful that due to absolute exhaustion, Nicole is a heavy sleeper, lately. She sneaks out into the kitchen and jumps a bit as she spots Jamie standing there leaning over the open fridge.

“You know nothing’s going to change, no matter how long you stare in there.” Waverly jokes, walking up behind Jamie, who doesn’t say anything, just grunts in reply and Waverly’s pretty sure she’s not completely awake, so she doesn’t bother trying to force conversation. 

It doesn’t take long for jamie to grab the jug of milk and take it to the counter, holding the fridge open for Waverly to grab it.

Wordlessly, Waverly grabs the fridge door and takes Jamie’s spot in front of it, surveying what her options are. She is debating on just reheating leftovers from tonight’s dinner when her attention is drawn back to Jamie.

“Shit!” Jamie seethes, frantically looking around the counter.

Waverly looks over, only to see the plastic cup Jamie had been filling on it’s side, milk spread out on the counter and dripping down the side.

“It’s alright, no need to cry over spilled milk.” Waverly says, closing the fridge and grabbing the dish towel from the oven handle and mopping up the milk as best she can.

It’s when she’s reaching across Jamie, trying to clean up the mess that she realizes that her sister-in-law is actually crying.

“Jamie?” Waverly asks, confused but grateful that the overhead light on the oven is still on so she can actually see, even if it’s dim.

Jamie doesn’t reply, she just keeps crying.

Waverly tries again, “Jamie? What’s wrong? It’s just milk, it’s fine, we can fix this-”

Jamie cuts her off with an audible sob this time and before Waverly knows it, she’s grabbing Jamie and holding her in a tight hug, despite the height difference. “Hey, hey, it’s okay, Sweetheart, it’s okay.”

Jamie grips onto Waverly’s shirt and cries hard. Waverly can hear her speaking, though she can’t make out the words as her shoulder is muffling Jamie’s words.

“What was that?” Waverly asks, pulling back enough that she can understand whatever it is Jamie is saying.

“I’m a lie!” Jamie manages, voice cracking.

“What?” Waverly asks, confused.

“I- I’m a lie. They’ve been ly-lying to me this whole time and I-I don’t- I-I-” Jamie cuts herself off, crying too much to continue talking.

“Shh, shh, just calm down a little bit and try again, okay?” Waverly says, her voice gentle as she rubs Jamie’s back.

Jamie nods and then takes a few shaky, deep breaths, but manages to compose herself enough to talk, “T-they lied to me…”

“Who lied to you?” Waverly asks, trying to understand.

“My parents!” Jamie bursts out, groaning before she starts crying again, though not full-out sobbing anymore. “I- if I tell you this, you have to  _ swear _ you won’t tell Nicole; okay, Waverly? You have to swear!”

Jamie sounds frantic now, and Waverly can’t help but hesitate just the slightest bit.

“I’m not in trouble, Waverly. This isn’t something that I did or didn’t do, I promise. I’m just not sure who to trust anymore and I can’t...I can’t confront Nicole yet- not now.  _ Please _ , I need to talk to someone about this.”

Jamie’s practically begging now, and Waverly finds herself nodding along. 

“Hayley’s not my sister she’s-” Jamie chokes up, and tries to steady herself before continuing,  “She’s my  _ mom _ .”

Waverly’s reeling. This can’t be true. This  _ has _ to be some sort of weird prank. Waverly opens her mouth to say as much, to tell Jamie she almost had her going, but Jamie doesn’t give her the opportunity.

“I mean, how fucked up does that sound?!” Jamie seethes, looking off just to Waverly’s right, eyes unfocused as she continues,”It doesn’t even feel real, you know? I mean, Mom sat me down a few weeks ago after I fucking graduated and-and we were sitting at the dining room table and she just...blurted it out?” Jamie scoffs, seeming to not even believe herself. “I mean, who  _ does _ that? But she did. She just...told me, and she was crying, and I was crying, and then Dad came home and I just… I felt like I was going to be sick. I had to get out of there, you know? I never- I didn’t expect to end up at Hayley’s- she doesn’t- I didn’t tell her.”

There’s a pause in all of this, but Waverly doesn’t know what to say. Her mouth is clamped shut and she isn’t about to open it just yet. Not with everything just sitting between them. She wouldn’t know where to begin.

“I mean, how would I even start that conversation? Oh, by the way, Hays, I guess I owe you a Mother’s Day card, or twenty?!” Jamie’s voice cracks and she’s crying again, and all Waverly can think to do is rub her back and wait it all out. 

She remembers feeling this lost, but she didn’t get the benefit of having any time to process things- not immediately. One of them should have that, and if Waverly can help, she’s going to.

“I’m sorry. I know this is so fucked up, but you can’t- you can’t tell Nicole. I’m not even sure what she knows and I just can’t deal with that right now. Please, Waverly, keep this to yourself.”

Waverly opens her mouth to reply, though she’s not even sure what she’s going to say before Jamie cuts her off.

“I promise I’ll talk to her about it soon, I just- can’t right now. I need time. Please, I know you can’t possibly know how this feels, but I just-”

It’s Waverly’s turn to cut in.

“I  _ do  _ know how this feels.” Waverly states, and in response to the incredulous look Jamie gives her, she adds, “Last year I found out my dad really wasn’t my dad- I’m not even sure  _ who _ my father is and I’m not sure I ever  _ want _ to, but....yeah, I know what it feels like to have your life suddenly be ripped out from under you.”

They stand there in a small silence, just looking at one another in a moment of full understanding and Waverly hates that they can have this moment at all. But there is still a small part of her grateful that she's not so alone anymore.

“I won’t tell Nicole anything, but you have to. The sooner, the better. Clearly, bottling this all up isn’t doing you any favors” Waverly says, gesturing to the spilled milk behind them.

Jamie gives a watery laugh and nods, “Yeah, you’re right, and I will. Just...not yet.”

Waverly can give her that. It’s not as if she came clean immediately about her findings about Ward. Though her stomach flips uncomfortably at the thought of keeping a secret like this from Nicole, but she made a promise and she intends to make good on it. 

She just hopes the Haught family secrets don’t break her  _ own _ little family apart.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't read this at work, okay? It would be a very bad idea.

Nicole’s trying and failing to cover a yawn with her arm as she heads into the station. Last night was a long shift, but she  _ did _ actually get to go home- not that there was much happening there by the time she got in. 

Waverly had already put Warner to bed and gone to sleep herself, so Nicole snuck into the nursery as quiet as she could to at least spend some time with Warner, even if he wasn't awake. Not long after that, she’d crawled into bed next to Waverly, with the sound of her alarm waking her up after sleeping for what felt like just a few seconds.

Nicole feels like a zombie, the walking dead. She’s honestly not even sure she was forming coherent sentences when she said her goodbyes this morning. But she’s here now and walking up to her desk, she spies it: the coffee cup with her name scrawled in sharpie. The i in Nicole dotted with a little heart.

“Oh my god!” Nicole groans as she snatches the cup up and sips as greedily as one can sip a hot beverage.

“Figured you would need the pickmeup.” Summer says, walking over to Nicole's desk and grinning.

“You are a godsend!” Nicole moans, hunched over her desk.

“I do aim to please.” Summer smirks, hopping up on the corner of Nicole’s desk.

“Mm, well, you succeed.” Nicole says, more into her coffee cup than anything else.

“Good to know; can’t have you falling asleep at the wheel.” Summer muses, “Unless, of course, you’re willing to let me drive?” She says, holding her hand out to Nicole, leaning into her.

“Over your dead body.” Nicole snaps back before continuing, “Or...my dead body-  _ someone’s _ going to have to die before that happens.”

Before Summer can reply, Nedley comes into the squad room, calling everyone’s attention as he gives out details for the day. Nicole’s phone buzzes on the table and she quickly checks her notifications. 

Waverly’s sent her a Snapchat, and in an  effort to at least get the notification to go away, Nicole clicks on the picture, assuming it will be another silly photo of Warner.

It is  _ not _ Warner.

Nicole can feel herself blush as she looks at the photo of Waverly- well, Waverly’s body. The caption across the top of the photo reads, ‘ _ missing you so much, Mama’  _ with a few heart emojis and the water droplet emoji at the end.

“Haught! You and Bishop head out to Davis’ Ranch. One of John’s cows got attacked last night. I need you two to get a statement from him and see exactly what happened. He seems a bit shaken up.”

Nicole jumps at the sound of Nedley’s voice and then nods and grabs her coffee, hanging the car keys off of her index finger in front of Summer just to taunt her before she grabs them as they head to the cruiser. 

She wants to text Waverly about what she just sent, but they don’t have the time. Nicole  _ knows _ it would become a fight and she doesn’t have the energy to fight with Waverly right now. Instead, she’s choosing to ignore it even happened...for now.

“I still don’t see what the big deal is about me driving.” Summer grumbles as she buckles her seatbelt.

“I just don’t like being driven around. It’s just one of my things.” Nicole replies.

“I swear, you’re such a guy sometimes.” Summer says, rolling her eyes.

The one sentence hits Nicole like a punch to the gut. She tries to play it off and she laughs. It’s not that she blames Summer, either because it’s not like she’s out at work- especially not to Summer. Nicole had debated coming out to Summer immediately after being assigned as partners, but knowing just how small Purgatory’s police force is, she knew she couldn’t afford a potential rift between her and Summer. Besides, it’s not as if Summer actually said anything legitimately transphobic.

But Nicole still feels a wave of dysphoria wash over her. She finds herself policing her actions even just during the drive to Davis’ Ranch. It’s the small things she finds herself fixating on: is she sitting the right way? She has to remember to smile, or at least, not look so serious- she knows a serious face makes her look more masculine. Usually,Nicole likes to think she’s over all of this, tries to convince herself that her dysphoria has disappeared completely. But she knows that’s not how it works. It’s always there, always in the back of her mind, policing her actions, her words. It doesn’t always gnaw at her, especially not at home. 

But here, at work, things can get dicey.

Nedley knows- he had to know. He recruited her, after all. Her name change is public record. It’s not something she can run from, even if that was her goal for the longest time. But no one else knows, and thankfully, she’s gone a good while without any incidents that insight this sort of reaction.

Even after everyone found out about Waverly being pregnant, no one questioned anything. And why would they? All they saw were two women starting a family, so they just assumed they knew the answer as to how that family came to be.

No one has lied; Nicole would never do that. But no one in town has actually  _ asked _ them about it, either. It’s not like she’s going to announce to the whole town of Purgatory, Colorado that she’s a trans woman.

She doesn’t want to welcome that sort of violence.

“Long night again?” Summer asks, looking over at Nicole.

“Huh? Oh, yeah, Warner’s teething and that’s a fresh new layer of Hell.” Nicole jokes, trying to find her footing again.

“Oh, you and Waverly must be going out of your minds- her especially, being home alone with him all day. I seriously don’t know how she can do it. I wouldn’t be able to give up my job.” Summer says, looking straight ahead.

“Waverly has a job-” Nicole tries to interject.

“No, I know, motherhood is totally-”

“No, Waverly has a  _ job _ . Like outside of the house?” Nicole says, her voice going up at the end, more out of annoyance than anything else, “She  _ owns _ Shorty’s.”

“Oh, I- um, yeah, of course.” Summer hurriedly agrees, going back to sipping her iced coffee.

They sit in silence for a while before Summer breaks it again.

“But I mean, doesn’t she have other people running the place?” Summer asks, looking over at Nicole, her coffee abandoned in the cup holder.

“Okay, Summer, what’s your problem with Waverly? Because clearly there is some bad blood there, and look, if this- if us being partners is...I don’t know, too difficult for you or something, then that’s fine. Just tell Nedley and I’m sure-” Nicole gets cut off there.

“I’m sorry, really I am. I know I shouldn’t have-” Summer sighs before continuing, “I just-”

“We’re here.” Nicole announces, parking the cruiser, “We can finish this conversation later, unless you decide to talk to Nedley.”

Nicole gets out of the car and trudges through the field, Summer at her side chatting about something. In all honesty, Nicole pretty much zoned out when she starting rambling on about her date later tonight. It’s not that Nicole doesn’t care, it’s just that Summer has a tendency to repeat herself when she’s excited about something, and she seems really excited about this guy.

It’s only when they get to where they need to be that Nicole zeros in on the task at hand. It’s kind of hard to  _ not _ focus on the mutilated cow carcass in front of them. 

It’s like running into a wall, with the smell hitting them first. Nicole tries to just choke her reaction back, maintain her professionalism. Summer manages the same, though no one can blame her for the face she’s making. Even if today hasn’t been particularly sunny, this kill seems to be at least a day old, and it’s had time to get rank. 

“At least it’s not summer.” Nicole muses absentmindedly before looking over at her partner.

Summer gives her a look.

“You know what I meant.” Nicole says plainly before she crouches down and looks at the damage done. Honestly, if they hadn’t gotten a call about it being a rancher’s cow that had been attacked, Nicole’s not even sure she would recognize it at this very moment. She knows the brain does that, tries to save a person from something horrific. It gives a person time to get through whatever it is, get safe if possible, before clicking together. 

Unless you’re a cop, and it’s your job to look at the awful things and piece them together. Doesn’t mean her brain doesn’t still try to save her, anyway.

Things are slowly piecing together, though. The cow looks as if it was ripped apart, literally. As if someone- or something- attacked beyond a meal. There are bite marks around the neck; the killing blow, Nicole suspects as of right now. She’s in the middle of recording a few of her observations onto her voice recorder when someone else walks by the scene. 

“Alright, Mr. Davis. I’ll be in touch as soon as we get anymore information, but it does look to be the work of coyotes. I would keep a close watch on your animals and if at all possible, put them up at night.”

Nicole stands up as she hears Dolls’ voice.

Now she’s on high alert. This  _ has _ to be about Revenants. Unfortunately, she’s also keenly aware of Summer at her side. Summer, who is of the uninitiated.

“Uh, hey Summer, why don’t you get  _ our  _ statement from Mr. Davis here, yeah?” Nicole says, looking at Summer, stressing ‘our’ in order to appeal to the us vs. them of working with Black Badge.

No one knows  _ she _ is Black Badge, after all.

Summer nods in understanding and then turns on the professional charm she has been polishing lately as she leads Mr. Davis away to get her interview. Nicole follows for a few steps before stopping as she watches them walk away.

“So, what have we got here?” Nicole asks as she rests her hands on her belt buckle while she turns to look at Dolls, who is crouched down by the cow’s body.

“Coyotes, officially.” Dolls drones.

“And unofficially?” Nicole asks.

Dolls stands up and looks at Nicole as he answers, “Unofficially, it looks like some restless Revenants. You and Waverly have run them out of their usual watering hole, after all.”

“And I’m not about to start apologizing for it.” Nicole states, meeting Dolls’ gaze before she looks back at the cow, studying it for a few seconds, “But I’ve never seen Revenants do  _ anything _ like this before…” She trails off, focusing on the sheer destruction the poor animal was subjected to.

“We’ll get the Revenants rounded up. Willa is…” Dolls trails off, searching for the right word “itching to put more of them in the ground- or below it, really.” He finishes, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

“Things getting cramped at the homestead?” Nicole asks, watching Dolls’ body language.

Dolls just makes a noncommittal noise and continues studying the cow before standing up and walking back towards the road, motioning for Nicole to follow him. She glances back at Summer who is a few feet away, still wrapped up in her interview. 

Nicole follows Dolls, jogging a bit to catch up to him.

“She just keeps correcting us or taking over and we have to practically walk on eggshells in our own home!” Dolls huffs, not looking at Nicole as he keeps walking.

It takes Nicole a few seconds to realize he’s talking about Willa- complaining, actually. She’s not really sure what to say because she might not be the biggest fan of Willa, but this isn’t exactly her territory. So she just listens.

“I mean, come on, these are  _ our _ kids, not hers. We get to decide things. We get to be the parents and we get to choose our own goddamn midwife! Like would it kill her to just give us some privacy? Did you know she walked in on us once? I mean, thankfully Wynonna wasn’t involved or I swear we wouldn’t have heard the end of it, but still! I’m allowed to be with my partners in our own home!” Dolls finishes with an honest to god growl.

“Calm down there, Mushu!” Nicole says, playfully shoving Dolls’ shoulder.

He glares in reply, but Nicole can see there’s no real anger directed at her there.

“Listen, she’s in the process of moving out, and then you guys can have your own space before those little girls come.” Nicole tries for comfort now, “Speaking of them, have you guys picked out names?”

“We’ve been throwing some around, but nothing too concrete. Except Wynonna’s been pushing a couple names…” Dolls trails off.

“Oh yeah?” Nicole asks, looking at Dolls 

“Yeah, but we’re trying to convince her to use them for middle names.” Dolls admits, smiling now.

“That bad, huh?” Nicole asks, grinning now, too.

“They’re very....Wynonna…” Dolls trails off.

“Ah, yeah, now I get it.” Nicole says with a nod before stopping next to Dolls’ SUV.

“Hey, don’t worry about this, okay? The rest of us have got it covered. There aren’t any Revenants we can’t handle.”

“Okay, but if you need my help, you know where to find me.” Nicole says, tipping her hat at him, though a part of her really wishes they would finally call her in on a hunt. She could be of use if they just let her be.

“I need one of my best agents keeping this town afloat. Think you can handle that, Haught?” 

“What else am I gonna do?” Nicole asks, unintentionally letting the bitterness into her voice.

“Go rogue and burn this whole place down?” Dolls jokes.

“Don’t tempt me.” Nicole fires back as Dolls turns and walks away, climbing into his vehicle.

The drive back to the station is stifled and Nicole doesn’t know what she should say. There is a part of her that wants to bring up everything that happened between her and Summer earlier, but that feels like she would just be asking for a fight, and that’s not what she wants, especially not with her partner.

“I’m sorry.” Summer breaks their silence with an apology.

Nicole hadn’t seen that coming. 

She shifts in her seat a bit but doesn’t say anything. She wants to give Summer a chance to say something- or not, if she chooses to just leave it at that. But from what Nicole has learned, Summer’s not very good with silences.

“I know I’m being an idiot. I should just let all this bullshit from high school go, but-” Summer stops herself there, and that causes Nicole to glance over at her.

Summer’s sliding her hands together- a nervous habit. Now Nicole knows she can’t say anything; she knows that Summer is working herself up to say something difficult, and if it can finally put all of this bad blood between her and Waverly to bed, Nicole is not about to interrupt the progress. She only hopes there will  _ be _ progress.

“You’re gonna hate me after I say this, but I guess what’s new there?” Summer laughs and it’s a harsh sound, all sharp edges and bitterness, “I’m used to people taking Waverly’s side, and you definitely won’t be any different...But I don’t want to be reassigned. I won’t be asking Nedley for that, but I’m sure you will after this…” 

“What is it?” Nicole asks, looking from the road over to Summer, needing now more than ever for her to just  _ talk _ .

“Waverly and I used to be really close, you know? We were best friends, me and Waverly. But I was dating Champ, and...God this all sounds so fucking stupid!” Summer bites out her words, looking at the roof of the cruiser before she looks at the road.

It’s jarring, hearing Summer cuss. It’s just not something she does- at least, not while they’re on the clock, and it’s not like they spend much time together off the clock. In fact, Nicole’s pretty sure she hasn’t heard Summer cuss before this conversation; she just always assumed Summer must have on her off hours. Though this new development somehow has her doubting this. Even when faced with the exact opposite, Nicole still feels like this language has no proper place in Summer’s vocabulary. Or maybe it just sounds far too harsh for the conversation, especially surrounding Waverly.

“She ruined my life. And before you start arguing that sweet little Waverly Earp  _ could never _ , believe me, she did.” Summer snaps, looking out at the road with an intense look on her face, “I was dating Champ at the time. It was a silly little relationship, looking back on it, but it lasted two whole years before Waverly decided she had to have him. It spiraled from there. She was this town’s golden child: cheer captain, prom queen, valedictorian... hell, she was even in marching band!”

“I don’t understand.” Nicole admits.

“That was  _ my _ life. She shoved me out of my own life. She took everything from me. I was suddenly inadequate in my own life, and the worst part is that she acted completely innocent! I didn’t have anyone. She stole everything from me and acted like she didn’t do anything; that’s why I left this town. I wasn’t planning on coming back, at first. But I worked my ass off for this job and I knew I could do the most good here in Purgatory. I wasn’t going to let Waverly Earp run me out of my own life- not this time.” Summer finishes, still looking at the road for a few seconds before turning to look at Nicole, “I’m sorry if you don’t believe me, but it’s true. If you don’t want to work with me anymore, I get it.”

Nicole pulls into a parking spot in front of the station and parks the cruiser. She just sits there, trying to absorb everything Summer has just told her. It’s not as if Nicole didn’t hear some stories about Waverly’s high school antics. Mostly just stuff about cheerleading or band, but nothing Waverly ever said mentioned anything like this. Then again, it’s not as if Waverly would paint herself as the villain.

“Look, you’re a good cop, and I don’t want anything getting in the way of that, Summer. So if we can just move forward from here with clean slates, I’m more than willing to keep this thing we have going, okay?” Nicole finally says, smiling at her.

“Yeah, that’s fair.” Summer says, nodding along with her words.

It’s probably the best they can manage at the moment, and Nicole really wants to discuss this with Waverly when they get the chance. Though now she has a few things from today she wants to talk to her wife about. This newest development can wait, especially while Nicole takes the time to really wrap her head around it.

“Okay, let’s head back inside.” Nicole says as she unbuckles her seatbelt.

The rest of the day goes by smoothly, given that the majority of it has Nicole doing report after report. No matter how many hours she has been putting in lately, things have still managed to pile up on her. But it could honestly also be a byproduct of all of the hours she’s been putting in. Either way, she’s so absorbed in her work that she doesn’t even notice when Summer has gone home for the night.

“What? No, Nicole, no.” Nedley says as he walks up to Nicole’s desk.

Nicole jumps at the sound of Nedley’s voice, “Excuse me, Sir?” She asks, looking up at him, thoroughly confused.

“Whatever is going on here right now needs to stop.” Nedley says, gesturing to Nicole’s desk.

“Sir, you just gestured to everything I’m doing.” Nicole says, raising an eyebrow.

“Exactly. You need to go home, Nicole. These reports will still be here in the morning.” Nedley says, staring her down.

“I can handle it, Sir. Don’t worry about me.” Nicole says, trying to brush off Nedley’s concerns.

“I am concerned, Deputy. You’re burning the candle at both ends.” Nedley says, voice softening the tiniest bit.

“Sir, with all due respect, I really am fine. I can handle this; it’s not an issue-” Nicole starts in on her defense- she doesn’t want Nedley to think she can’t handle the workload- but she gets cut off.

“And with all due respect, Deputy, that’s pure bullshit.” Nedley states simply.

“Sir?”

“This is just a job, Nicole. A good and honorable one, but at the end of the day, it shouldn’t come before family. Look at where we’re at. Purgatory is a small town; you can afford to go home on time, and your family deserves you there when they can have you. There’s something to the idea of going out each and every day and doing your best to keep this place safe for the citizens of this town, for your family, but not at the cost of your time with them when you have the choice. Do you know what you’ve got right now, Deputy?” Nedley asks, though Nicole feels like it’s not really a question.

She doesn’t say anything, just patiently waits.

“You’ve got a choice, right here and now. You’ve got the choice of going home to Waverly and that little boy of yours. Or,” Nedley cuts himself off, clearing his throat and straightening up, hands pulling up his utility belt a bit before he continues, “You can stay here and write reports until your vision blurs and you’re of no use to me tomorrow. And honestly, what is all of this for, anyway? Why are you killing yourself lately? Is it because you want to be in the running for sheriff when I retire?”

“Sir, I-” Nicole tries, but Nedley puts up a hand to stop her before he rests it back on his belt when silence falls.

“The job’s already yours, Nicole. I recruited you from Denver for a reason. I saw a potential in you that this town needs. You’re a damn good cop and you’ve got this place almost figured out- at least the demonic part...the rest I can teach you, but you’ve got to get some rest before all of that. So, go home, Nicole. Spend time with your family; this will all be waiting for you in the morning.” Nedley finally finishes, smiling down at her.

Nicole doesn’t trust herself to speak, she just looks up at Nedley, her throat tight with emotion. She nods quickly and Nedley tips his hat to her. 

It doesn’t take long for her to get everything put away and to get back out to the cruiser. The entire drive home, Nicole keeps replaying the conversation with Nedley in her head. She is going to be sheriff someday soon. All of her hard work is paying off, and they can hopefully stop stressing as much. But other parts of the day keep circling back around in her head, and she knows that no matter the conversation with Nedley, things at home are not going to be the best. 

Nicole turns the engine off in the cruiser, sitting in the car, staring at the front of the house, not really sure if she wants to go in just yet. It’s not that she doesn’t want to see Waverly or Warner, it’s just that she’s not sure what she’s going to be walking into. Or whether or not she’s actually going to have the energy to really deal with everything she knows she needs to upon walking in.

So, she just sits there, staring at the front door, taking in the relative silence while she can.

She’s not exactly happy with Waverly at the moment, given her actions involving social media earlier today, but she knows going into the house focused on that will only lead to yet another argument.

Nicole sighs and leans back against the seat of the car, her head resting against the headrest. She doesn’t want to fight but she’s pretty sure they need to on some level.

How did things get so royally fucked that now they  _ need  _ to argue? 

Nicole sits there for a few more seconds before finally getting out of the car and heading inside the house. Whatever happens next will happen; she can’t hide from her fate forever. Besides, there is a little boy in there she desperately needs to lavish in attention.

Thankfully, she doesn't walk into chaos when she opens the door, though Orie is barking happily at her, his tail wagging so hard his butt is shaking from side to side.

“Hey, Or! Were you good for Mommy today?” Nicole asks as she leans down to pet him. 

He excitedly licks at her hand and then snuggles his body into the petting, turning around in a tight circle to look at her while she runs her hand down the length of his back.

“Silly boy.” Nicole coos affectionately, patting Orie before straightening up. “Waverly?!” she calls out, wondering just where her wife is.

“In the kitchen!” Waverly calls out, only to have Orie run to the kitchen as if he was called. “Can you check on Warner while you’re out there?”

“What? Oh, yeah!” Nicole replies as she spots Warner on his playmat, sitting inside his boppy and chewing on his plastic ring of keys. “Hey there, Bubba! How’re those teeth coming in?”

Upon seeing Nicole, Warner grins, flashing dimples as he squeals in delight, dropping his keys and reaching out for her. Nicole leans down and scoops him up, kissing all over his face. Warner flails and laughs at the contact. 

Waverly comes into the living room at the commotion.

“Jamie’s staying at the fire station tonight.” Waverly says, “Hence my being in there. Didn’t expect you home yet.”

Nicole opens her mouth to reply, only to have a tiny little baby hand smack her in the mouth, repeatedly. 

“I- um, I didn’t know she was going to be out tonight.” Nicole says, shifting Warner from one arm to the other, but that doesn’t stop the smacking, “Okay, excuse you, Warner? Mama is trying to talk and I-”

She gets smacked again, one last time before Warner realizes he’s getting attention and grins a gummy little smile.

“Do not try to charm your way out of this, Mister.” Nicole says, trying to sound stern.

Warner squeals in reply.

“This is not going to always work, I hope you know.” Nicole huffs, completely charmed.

“Yeah, well, it’s working right now, isn’t it?” Waverly says, giving Nicole a knowing looking.

“For at least one of you.” Nicole says, looking up at Waverly.

“What do you mean?” Waverly asks, walking back into the kitchen.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Waverly. That Snapchat you sent me this morning?” Nicole says, bouncing Warner a bit to appease him. “That was completely inappropriate! Anyone could have seen! Summer could have-”

“And why would Summer have your phone?” Waverly asks, turning back to Nicole as she turns the burners off.

“What? She wouldn’t- I’m saying anyone could have seen that picture- they could have seen  _ you.”  _ Nicole stresses.

“Go put Warner in his swing, please.” Waverly says, voice hard.

“What? Why?” Nicole asks.

“Because I don’t want to fight while you’re holding him.” Waverly states flatly.

Nicole stands there for a few seconds before she concedes and puts Warner in his swing, setting it on low. She walks back into the kitchen, back to Waverly, not wanting to fight, but knowing it was inevitable.

“I’m surprised.” Waverly muses, leaning against the counter, now.

“By?” Nicole asks, raising her eyebrows.

“I thought liked this sort of stuff in public.” Waverly purrs, pushing herself off of the counter as she gropes Nicole’s crotch through her uniform. “Is that the problem, Baby? Did I get you hard at work? Were you aching for me?”

“Waverly, stop!” Nicole snaps, pushing Waverly away a little bit.

Waverly takes a few steps back, looking at Nicole as if she struck her. “What? Am I not good enough for you now?!”

“What? That’s not what this is about!” Nicole argues.

“But you’re not denying it, either. Great, I’m suddenly not what you want because I had your kid. I’m sure Summer fucking Bishop is more your type now, isn’t she?!” Waverly growls, taking a step forward.

“What does Summer have to do with this? Seriously, Waverly?!” 

“You come home smelling like her perfume, what am I supposed to think?!” Waverly says, brushing past Nicole, moving towards the sink now.

“How do you even know what her perfume smells like, Waverly?!” Nicole argues, spinning on Waverly.

“She’s been wearing the same damn perfume since high school, Nicole! That’s how!” Waverly yells, running a hand through her hair.

“Did you send me that picture hoping she would see?!” Nicole asks, looking at Waverly in disbelief.

“No!” Waverly yells, defensive, “I sent it to you because you haven’t fucked me in a month and maybe, just maybe, I actually wanted to feel like you still wanted to have anything to do with me. Maybe, Nicole,” Waverly steps forward, pushing herself off of the counter, “Maybe I wanted to be more than just your little housewife.”

“Who’s stopping you?!” 

“You are! You won’t even touch me!” Waverly grabs Nicole by the wrist and shoves her hand between her thighs, “Remember what I feel like, Nicole? Or do you just not care?”

Nicole pulls her hand back, “Would you fucking stop?! I don’t want to do this, I don’t want to be with you like this.” 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Waverly asks, taking a step back from Nicole, hitting the counter.

“You literally just shoved my hand under your dress, what do you fucking think I mean?!”

“I just wanted to be...more…” Waverly trails off, looking down at the floor now.

“Waverly…” Nicole doesn’t know what to say.

She doesn’t agree with Waverly’s actions, but now that she can sort of understand them better, it makes this whole thing a lot more complicated than she first thought. But she still doesn’t know what to say.

“You’re enough for me.” Nicole says, looking at her wife, who isn’t looking at her. “Waverly, do you hear me?” 

Waverly nods in reply, still looking at the ground.

“Look at me, Waverly.” Nicole says, voice a soft demand.

Waverly looks up, crying.

“I’m so fucking sorry! I’m sorry for everything- for touching you when you didn’t want me to, for...for-” Waverly can’t continue, too choked up by her tears.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay, Waverly.” Nicole says, holding the sides of Waverly’s face, “You’re enough.”

She tries to pull Waverly into her, but she’s met with resistance.

“No, it’s not okay.” Waverly argues, still crying, her voice cracking, “That’s _ never  _ okay, I’m so sorry!”

Nicole’s pretty sure Waverly is beyond reason at this point, so she’s only got one choice left to her, “Okay, Waverly, I forgive you. Do you understand? I’m right here and  _ I forgive you _ .”

Waverly nods but pulls away, walking past Nicole and then out of the kitchen completely. Nicole watches her go, unsure if she should follow. Instead, she walks into the living room and picks Warner up from the swing.

“Hey there, Warner. How’re you feelin’, baby?” Nicole asks, wiping his teary eyes.

Warner grabs for her hair, but thankfully doesn’t manage to keep his grip, “See? This is why Mama got her hair cut. Little boys can’t grab at it like they do with Mommy. Now all we gotta do is convince Mommy to cut hers.” 

Waverly comes back into the living room and looks at Nicole and Warner for a few seconds before she walks into the kitchen.

“Waves, I can help with dinner if you need me to.” Nicole says, following Waverly into the kitchen after a second or two.

“No, it’s fine, I’ve got it. Just get him situated.” 

Nicole can’t help but feel like she’s being brushed off because of the fight just minutes ago. However, she does what Waverly asks and sets Warner up in his high chair, making sure she is situated close to him. She wants to spend as much time with him as she can.

They have lost time to make up for, after all.

Waverly brings the plates out, setting the dishes holding the food out in the middle of the table. 

“Everything smells delicious, Baby.” Nicole says, smiling up at Waverly after taking a deep breath.

“It’s pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans.” Waverly says, putting some food onto her plate.

Nicole waits patiently but then digs in, piling her plate up with food. She’s pretty sure her eyes are going to end up having been bigger than her stomach, but as she has the thought, her stomach growls. She’s not even sure she actually ate anything all day, now that she thinks about it.

Every now and again, she looks at Waverly and smiles as she either shovels another forkful of food into her mouth, or chews happily. Waverly smiles back, but it still feels a bit forced. Things aren’t good with them, Nicole knows, but she’s also not sure how to make them better.

In an effort to distract herself and alleviate some of her guilt, she scoops a small forkful of mashed potatoes up and offers them to Warner on her finger, making sure the food was unseasoned and cool enough to offer him in the first place. 

Nicole hates the thought of Warner just sitting there watching them eat.  She knows that they have little option, since Warner can’t stand to not be at the table with them, whether he’s eating or not, but she still feels guilty. Thankfully, it doesn’t take long for Warner to realize he really likes mashed potatoes.

“I think we’ve found a new favorite.” Nicole laughs as Warner’s eyes go a little wide as swallows the mashed potatoes and tries gnawing at Nicole's finger.

“Looks like you’re right.” Waverly laughs as Warner starts smacking his hand down on the tray when he realizes all the food is gone.

The rest of the meal goes smoothly, though Warner does get a bit fussy until he has had his fill of mashed potatoes. Nicole takes him and cleans him up, opting for a quick little swipe of a couple of baby wipes across his hands and over his mouth. He’s fussy enough that Nicole doesn’t want to try for a real bath at the moment.

Nicole changes him into his pajamas and then scoops him up, sitting down in the rocking chair and humming to him, rubbing his back until he yawns sleepily. She loves this time with him and she’s kicking herself for not getting enough of it lately.

Waverly comes into the nursery and walks over to the crib, just watching the two of them as Nicole looks up at her, smiling. Things may be an unholy mess, but Nicole loves her family more than words could ever say. She just basks in this moment for a few more seconds before getting up and placing Warner down in the crib.

Neither of them move as they just look down at their son sleeping peacefully in his crib. Wordlessly, Waverly reaches over and turns on the baby monitor, video absolutely included.

It’s been difficult transitioning to having Warner sleep in the nursery, and while they have been doing this for a while now, it’s still not an easy task. Leaving him alone in the room is the hardest. In fact, Waverly slept on the floor the first night they attempted it. 

She fell asleep sitting next to the crib- thankfully Jamie was out that night- but after that, Nicole has tried to make sure that Waverly is in their bedroom when she goes to bed. Having Jamie staying with them has made it harder for Waverly to stay with Warner during the night, and as far as Nicole knows, she’s never actively attempted it again. But she knows how hard it is to leave him- her heart pounds in her chest every time they walk out of this room without him.

But they need to do this, for Warner’s sake.

Nicole’s hand finds the small of Waverly’s back as she gently pushes her towards the door. Thankfully, it doesn’t take a lot of prodding, and soon enough, they’re out in the living room. Wordlessly, they walk to their bedroom and Nicole flicks on the light before Waverly sits down, only to yelp and shoot right back up.

“What?” Nicole asks, and the second she asks it, Whiskey comes running out from under the covers, hissing as she bolts off of the bed and out of the room. “Honestly, I’m just surprised that didn’t happen sooner.” She deadpans, looking up at Waverly.

“I think your cat hates me.” Waverly grumbles as she sits back down on the bed.

“She doesn’t hate you, she’s just a little bit of an asshole.” Nicole muses, smiling as she goes and sits down on the bed next to Waverly.

“Hey, I love you, you know. Even with your asshole cat.” Waverly says, looking at Nicole as she lays back on the bed. “And she really is an asshole.” She continues, grinning.

“I love you, too.” Nicole says before she gets up from the bed and puts on her pajamas, wishing she had found the time to do this earlier. It doesn’t take her long to change, t-shirt and pajama shorts loosely hanging on her, and soon enough, she’s crawling into bed, lying down next to Waverly. 

They just lie there, smiling at one another, until a thought crosses Nicole’s mind. She turns on her side, propping herself up on her arm as she looks at Waverly, eyes trailing down her wife’s body. 

“You know, you really fucked up, earlier.” Nicole says, voice soft as she lets her eyes lazily work their way back up Waverly’s body.

“What?” Waverly asks, and her tone causes Nicole to flick her eyes to Waverly’s own green ones.

She’s offended.

“You know you did.” Nicole says, maintaining her soft tone before she pushes herself up and straddles Waverly.

“What are you-” Waverly cuts herself off with a squeak as Nicole settles on top of her.

“You sent me those pictures at work.” Nicole whispers, leaning down her mouth against Waverly’s ear. “Dirty girls who disobey get punished, right?” 

Nicole can feel the shift in the air, and Waverly suddenly relaxes underneath her, becomes pliable. Nicole decides to up the ante just a fraction and leans back up, reaching out as quick as she can, grabbing Waverly’s wrists, holding them against the bed above her wife’s head as she leans her body weight into her. 

Nicole can’t help but smirk when she hears Waverly’s breath hitch.

“You were bad, weren’t you?” Nicole asks, though it’s not really a question.

Waverly doesn’t answer, just stares at her, captivated.

“Answer me.” Nicole bites out.

Waverly bites her lip before she finally replies, “Yes.”

“Don’t do that, Baby. That’s my job.” Nicole purrs before she kisses Waverly hard, biting her lower lip, pulling back a bit before she finally releases her.

“Funny, you seemed to have a lot to say about it earlier.” Nicole says, sitting up and letting go of Waverly’s wrists as she stares down at her. “Wouldn’t stop trying to justify it.”

Waverly shifts and moves her hands, but Nicole stops her, “Did I tell you you could move? Keep your hands there.” She snaps.

Waverly puts her hands back in place, easily.

“Mm, that’s my good baby.” Nicole says, leaning down and kissing Waverly, her hand clasping around Waverly’s jaw.

Waverly leans up and kisses back fiercely, hungrily. Nicole doesn’t bother with niceties as she shoves her free hand down Waverly’s body between them both as she starts rubbing her over her panties.

Their kiss is broken as Waverly gasps and Nicole cuts her off, kissing her again, swallowing Waverly’s moans. Waverly writhes and Nicole pulls back from their kiss, fingertips still sliding over Waverly’s clit as she rolls her eyes up to watch Waverly’s hands. The moment she sees Waverly’s hands move and grab for her, Nicole pulls her own hand away, both now at her side, and she sits up and watches.

Waverly arches her back and huffs in frustration. 

“Why did you stop?” Waverly asks with an indignant pout.

“I told you to keep your hands where they were.” Nicole states, voice hard.

Waverly squirms underneath her, but she doesn’t put her hands back into place. Instead she just tries to pull Nicole down, tries to connect their mouths in another kiss. Nicole stands her ground and doesn’t budge until Waverly gives up, looking up at her confused.

“What’s wrong? Did I-” 

Waverly cuts herself off as Nicole grabs her by the jaw, looking down at her with an eyebrow raised. 

“Are you going to behave?”

Waverly opens her mouth to reply, but closes it quickly before she nods fervently.

“I don’t believe you.” Nicole says as she releases Waverly’s jaw and then gets up off her and the bed.

“Are we still doing this?” Waverly asks, surfacing a bit.

Nicole can’t help but smirk before she grabs Waverly and pulls her down the bed a little bit and then flips her onto her stomach.

“We are _ so _ still doing this, Baby.” Nicole says as she leans over Waverly, kissing her shoulder, “Now get that ass of yours up in the air.”

Waverly complies, but she’s not exactly in the position Nicole needs, so Nicole grabs her by her hips and puts her in place, roughly.

“Stay there.” Nicole orders as she rubs Waverly’s ass.

Waverly wiggles the tiniest bit.

Nicole slaps her ass in response, “Don’t get cheeky.”

Waverly groans into her pillow that she dragged down with her, “Do not make puns right now.”

“I wasn’t even trying to.” Nicole admits, and as she hears Waverly draw in another breath, she smacks her hand down on Waverly’s other ass cheek.

Waverly doesn’t move and Nicole waits a few seconds, slightly impressed, before she tugs Waverly’s panties down swiftly, letting them pool at her knees before Waverly kicks them off completely.

“Ready?” Nicole asks, rubbing Waverly’s ass.

“Mhm.” Waverly hums, looking back at Nicole.

“Good, because bad girls deserve what they get.” Nicole says before smacking Waverly’s ass again, hitting hard.

She keeps spanking Waverly for a while, switching up where she hits, not always alternating or opting to completely change the pattern until Waverly’s ass is an even cherry red and she’s biting the pillow. 

“You look so good like this.” Nicole says, admiring her work, “I think you like it, too.” She says as she slides her hand between Waverly’s legs, fingers slick with her arousal.

Waverly moans and pushes back against Nicole’s hand, but she draws back completely. 

“Not yet, Baby.” Nicole says, rubbing Waverly’s ass again, smiling at the warmth radiating from it, “Soon, though. Promise.”

Waverly whines as she looks back at Nicole, silently pleading for more.

“Soon.” Nicole says as she locks eyes with Waverly before she dips down and bites her ass cheek.

“What the hell was that?!” Waverly yelps, moving forward, trying to get away from Nicole.

“I’ve just always wanted to do that.” Nicole says with a shrug.

“Oh my god!” Waverly groans into the pillow.

“Don’t get too complacent.” Nicole says with another hard smack to Waverly’s ass before she squeezes, digging her nails in.

Waverly moans.

“Now, come here,” Nicole says, leaning over Waverly and pulling her back by her hair, “I’ve got a job for that pretty little mouth of yours.” She adds, licking behind Waverly’s ear.

“Fuck…” Waverly whispers, leaning back into Nicole.

“That’ll happen in due time, Baby. Right now, I need your mouth on my cock.” Nicole says, tugging at Waverly’s hair again before letting her go.

Waverly doesn’t reply, she just turns to face Nicole, and then pulls her close by the hips. Nicole’s legs hit the edge of the bed as she stands there, looking down at Waverly. For her part, Waverly keeps eye contact as she pushes Nicole’s shorts down, freeing her erection.

“Suck.” Nicole says, gripping Waverly by the hair again and forcing her mouth down.

Waverly complies, her mouth sinking down on Nicole. 

“God, that feels so fucking good, Baby.” Nicole says, hand still in Waverly’s hair, letting her move up her shaft before going back down again. 

When Waverly takes all of her down, Nicole holds her there, and Waverly struggles a bit to get back up. Nicole can’t help but like the look in her eyes, the slight panic, before she lets her pull back up. 

Waverly pulls back completely, thick strands of saliva trailing from Nicole’s cock to her mouth.

“You look so good choking on my cock, Baby.” Nicole purrs, stroking Waverly’s cheek before she trails her thumb over her bottom lip.

Waverly wordlessly grabs for Nicole, tugs at her shirt and tries to pull her down.

“What, Baby? What do you want?” Nicole asks, voice gentle even as she doesn’t budge, “Use your words.”

Waverly whines before she finally speaks, “Kiss me.” 

It’s more a plea than a demand and Nicole feels herself folding just the tiniest bit before she leans down and kisses Waverly, though mid-kiss, she wraps her hand around Waverly’s throat before she pushes her back, cutting contact.

“Back to what you were doing.” Nicole says, letting go of Waverly’s throat and grabbing her by the hair again.

Waverly yelps in pain as she meets Nicole’s eyes, her own glazed over as Nicole watches her fall just a little deeper. 

“You’re so blissed out right now, aren't you, Baby? Nicole says.

Waverly nods, keeping eye contact.

“That’s my good girl. Now, suck.” Nicole hums before pushing Waverly back down on her cock.

Waverly deepthroats her, but this time, Nicole is merciful and doesn’t hold her down until Waverly pulls back up and runs her tongue over Nicole’s slit and she can’t help but push Waverly all the way down again and hold her there, enjoying the feeling of Waverly gagging until she feels Waverly’s nails dig into her thigh and she lets go. 

“You had enough?” Nicole asks.

Waverly licks a line up Nicole’s shaft before dipping back down and sucking her balls. 

“Oh fuck, that feels good!” Nicole moans, closing her eyes.

Waverly keeps going, rolling her tongue over Nicole’s balls before sucking hard. Nicole has a split second before she has to pull away, “Fuck, if you keep doing that, I’m not gonna last.”

Waverly leans back a bit and Nicole watches her for a few seconds, considering her options. 

“Mm, Baby,” Nicole hums before she pulls Waverly close and kisses her hard, “Touch yourself. I wanna watch you.” She whispers against Waverly’s mouth before she pushes her onto her back.

Waverly lays back and opens her legs and Nicole watches as she touches herself before walking over to the nightstand and opening the drawer, grabbing a condom from the pack. Nicole turns back to Waverly as she tears open the package and slides the condom on. The way Waverly writhes under her own hand has Nicole captivated, but her cock twitches and brings her attention back to just what she should be doing.

“Get yourself close.” Nicole demands, stroking herself as she watches Waverly.

Waverly is panting and arching her back as her fingers keep working over her clit. Nicole climbs up on the bed, situating herself between Waverly’s spread legs, getting between them just in time as Waverly’s legs try to clamp together.

“Hit a good spot, Baby?” Nicole asks, chuckling.

Waverly wordlessly whines.

“Let me know when you’re there.” Nicole says, sounding more conversational than anything else.

It doesn’t take long before Waverly’s gasping, “I’m close!”

That’s when Nicole situates herself and then pushes inside of Waverly. 

Waverly moves up, trying to wrap her body around Nicole or drag her down, and Nicole isn’t exactly sure, but she thinks she can feel Waverly coming.

“Such a good girl.” Nicole says.

Waverly is clawing at Nicole, her other hand wrapped around her mouth as she tries to muffle her screams when Nicole pulls back before thrusting forward again.

“I’m gonna fuck you through it, Baby.” Nicole says before she pulls back and then slams into her, moving as fast as Waverly’s body will allow.

Waverly grabs the corner of the pillow and bites down, screaming through clenched jaws. Nicole slows, pulling back as she just stays in place, Waverly shaking underneath her.

“Why did you stop? Please don’t stop! Fuck me, Baby, please!” Waverly begs, her words ending in a high whine.

“Well…because you asked so pretty.” Nicole says before she moves again, fucking Waverly as hard as she can.

Waverly rakes her nails down Nicole’s back and every inch of her she can reach. She knows there will be angry red marks wrapping around her torso, she can already feel them burning there, but that doesn’t slow her pace. In fact, it just urges her on as she slides her thumb over Waverly’s clit. 

That pushes Waverly over the edge again and Nicole fucks her through it like she practically promised she would. Nicole has tried to keep count, but it’s hard when Waverly’s orgasms keep rolling into each other. The moment Nicole thinks she’s done, there is another wave, and it’s not like either of them are going to complain.

Except maybe Waverly.

“Will you come already?” Waverly practically begs, her voice cracking.

“What, getting too sensitive?” Nicole asks.

“Just- oh my fucking god!” Waverly gets cut off by another orgasm.

Nicole only slows when she notices Waverly crying.

“Are you okay?” Nicole asks, unsure if she should stop.

“Y-yes!” Waverly gasps, hands going to Nicole’s ass, pulling her closer, deeper inside of her, “Just come!” Waverly practically growls.

“Okay, but this is gonna get rough.” Nicole warns.

Nicole can’t help but laugh as Waverly’s eyes go wide before she speeds up her pace again, going as fast as she can, not caring that her pace is breaking the closer she gets.

“Yeah, you like that? You’re such a greedy little whore; you’ve been begging for it for so long. That gets me so hard, making you beg, making you desperate for me. God, you feel so fucking good. This is where you belong,” Nicole says, pulling Waverly up to wrap around her as she changes position, now on her knees with Waverly resting on her hips, “My cock buried deep inside of you, that’s all you want. Isn’t it, Baby? You just want me inside of you always? You don’t even know what to do with yourself when you can’t have my cock, do you?” 

Her hand falls away from Waverly as she focuses on her own pleasure now. Finally, she feels her body tense up and then it feels like every nerve ending she has just explodes all at once. 

“Oh my fucking god!” Nicole chokes out, nails digging into Waverly’s ass, holding her as tight as possible.

Waverly holds her close as she comes down, her breathing ragged. Nicole's not even sure she can pull out of Waverly at this point- not with how sensitive she feels just being buried inside of her. But she knows it has to happen. After a few seconds, enough to at least compose herself to do what needs be done, she steadies herself, most of her body weight leaning on the arm she has propped up on Waverly’s thigh. 

“I lost count of how many orgasms I just had.” Waverly pants, laughing.

“So it was good?” Nicole asks, eyebrows raised as she looks down at her wife.

“More than good. You should take control more often.” Waverly says, cupping Nicole’s cheek, stroking her thumb over her lips.

“Just don’t take this as incentive to send me dirty pictures at work, okay? That really wasn’t okay.” Nicole says, sobering up, trying to get her point across and thankful that this little conversation has given her time to pull herself together, so to speak.

She pulls out slowly, feeling Waverly contract around her as she does so. It thankfully doesn’t take long to pull the condom off and tie it. Though now she’s not sure what to do with it.

“I don’t think I can move.” Nicole admits, still panting.

“Well, don’t look at me.” Waverly replies.

Nicole flops back on the bed, her back hitting the mattress. Even just lying here is uncomfortable, given how sweaty she is, but there’s not much else to be done. 

“Just give me a few, yeah?” Nicole says to the ceiling, unwilling to even look over at Waverly, feeling that would take too much effort.

By the time Nicole feels like she can move again, Waverly has fallen asleep- not that Nicole can really blame her. But that does leave her with the task of being as quiet as humanly possible while she heads to the bathroom to discard the used condom, wash up, and then piss like a racehorse.

Everything sounds louder than normal. Even the sound of her pee hitting the toilet sounds obscenely loud, but Waverly doesn’t stir in bed. It’s not until Nicole gets back into bed and is almost asleep that Waverly moves, rushing out of bed and into the open bathroom.

“Gotta pee, gotta pee, gotta pee!” Waverly chants before she sits herself down.

“Mm, Baby, come here!” Nicole calls out to Waverly once she flushes and heads back into the room.

“I’m right here, you needy baby.” Waverly says as she bounds over to the bed, walking on her tiptoes.

“Good, I  _ do _ need you.” Nicole says, holding her arms open for Waverly, who practically falls into the embrace.

“Silly baby.” Waverly mutters as she snuggles into Nicole’s neck, breathing deeply.

“Mm, no, over the covers.” Nicole says, pulling the covers off of Waverly.

“What? Why?” Waverly asks, grabbing for the comforter again, but Nicole pulls it out of reach.

“Need to take care of that ass of yours.” Nicole says as she reaches over to the nightstand and grabs a bottle of lotion.

“Thought you already did that.” Waverly says, smirking.

“Mm, you know I didn’t.” Nicole says, pulling Waverly closer by her hips, “Can’t have you whining about a sore butt tomorrow.”

“I’m going to whine anyway.” Waverly quips.

“Believe me, I’m aware.” Nicole says before she squirts some lotion into her hands and then grabs Waverly’s ass.

Waverly squeaks in surprise, even though she knew this was going to happen. Nicole can’t help but fall a little bit more in love with her at that.

“Who’s the silly baby, now?” Nicole whispers, hands kneading and rubbing Waverly’s ass.

“Still you.” Waverly huffs before leaning up and kissing Nicole.

Nicole hums into the kiss before they break apart. She keeps massaging Waverly’s ass well after the lotion has all soaked in, and sometime in all of this, Waverly just snuggled into her more, and it’s not like Nicole could find a single thing to complain about.

“Better?” Nicole asks, looking down at Waverly, finally letting her go.

Waverly doesn’t reply.

“Waves?” Nicole asks, only to see her wife is fast asleep. “Guess this makes you the sleepy baby.” She says before she kisses Waverly’s forehead and throws the covers over the both of them again.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one you don't want to read at work but you probably will.

_“Everything has changed_  
_My life won’t be the same_  
_As long as she ain’t in it”_

Waverly quickly scans through the stations, only settling long enough to catch a few words of a song or commercial- enough to see if she wants to stick with her choice or not. This has been going on for a while now, but nothing catches her attention for long.

She huffs and drops her hand from the radio dial as she falls back against her seat. The sad country song will have to do- it even has a steel guitar.

“Restless?” Nicole asks from the driver’s seat.

“Yeah.” Waverly replies, looking out the window at the passing cars.

“Well, we should be in town soon enough.” Nicole tries to reassure her.

The radio has fallen into commercials now and Waverly shifts in her seat. They’re headed to Denver to spend the night with Nicole’s parents, and given how normal Nicole seems to be acting, Waverly knows Jamie hasn’t told her anything. She sighs and then turns around to check on Warner, but she knows he’s been lulled to sleep by the car ride.

It’s futile. There’s nothing to keep her mind off of Judy and Greg, and she doesn’t really want to think about them right now...not until she _has_ to.

She pulls out her cellphone and writes out a text.

(Sent: Jamie 1:08 pm)  
Waverly: you REALLY need to talk to Nicole about your parents.

She stares at her phone screen, hoping that Jamie will write back a quick reply, but no such luck. She pockets her phone as they make their way into Denver.

It's not long after that Waverly gets an idea.

“Hey, can we stop off at the Babies R Us by your parents’ house?”

“I- um, why?” Nicole asks, looking over at Waverly now.

“We still need to get Wynonna a gift for the twins.” Waverly reminds her, excited by the prospect, and hoping Nicole will give in.

“Oh, yeah, I guess we can stop in since it’s on the way there.” Nicole agrees, looking back at the road ahead of them.

“Thank you, Baby.” Waverly chirps, smiling and trying to lay on the charm.

This plan is actually two-pronged- or, well, more that it has two benefits. One, they really do need to get Wynonna a gift, and two, it keeps Waverly away from her in-laws that much longer.

They pull into the parking lot of the Babies R Us and find a close spot. Waverly takes the opportunity to look back at Warner, who is still sound asleep. This is the one downside of going into the store; they’re going to need to wake him up. Even if they manage to not wake him initially, she knows _something_ will. And Waverly knows they don’t have much longer to go until Greg and Judy’s house from here anyway, but it still would have been a little more time for him to sleep.

“I’ll get him.” Nicole says as she unbuckles her seatbelt.

“Have I told you lately that you’re the best?” Waverly asks as she leans over and gives Nicole a small kiss on the lips.

“Mm, we’re not driving back home.” Nicole says as she pulls back and gets out of the truck.

“Not everything I do has ulterior motives!” Waverly argues as she follows and watches as Nicole grabs the diaper bag and then Warner.

As almost promised, he wakes up and isn’t happy about it.

“Sh, sh, Bubba, I know, I know waking up is The Worst.” Nicole coos as she picks Warner up.

Waverly’s heart hurts in a new way when Warner starts swiping his little tear-filled and tired eyes with the backs of his hands. She just wants to lull him right back to sleep- it _is_ her fault he's awake now, after all. But they have something to do, and his nap has lasted long enough that he should make it through the rest of his day relatively well. Barring any sort of mishap with his grandparents.

“We’ll be quick!” Waverly says as Nicole turns towards her and the store front.

The look she’s receiving lets Waverly know Nicole doesn't buy it for a second. And maybe neither does she.

They walk into the store and Waverly makes a beeline for the little girl clothes. She can’t help but entertain dangerous ideas as she slides the clothes on the racks.

“Oh, look at this one, Nicole!” Waverly says as she holds up a little sundress for her wife to see.

“That’s adorable, Waves, but I think it’s a bit big for newborns.” Nicole replies, rubbing Warner’s back.

“Yeah, I know…” Waverly trails off as she eyes the little dress for a few seconds longer. “Hey, Baby… it wouldn’t be the worst thing if we got pregnant again, right?” She muses before she puts the dress back on the rack.

“Oh my god… you’re not pregnant, are you?!” The tone in Nicole's voice has Waverly looking over at her wife now.

“What? No! We-” Waverly cuts herself off as she steps a bit closer to Nicole, lowering her voice as she continues, “We’ve been careful every time. I just...look at these little baby clothes!”

“Look at _this_ baby!” Nicole argues, pointing at Warner in her arms.

“Well yeah, I know, it was just an idea…” Waverly trails off.

She can’t help it. The idea of another baby is so intoxicating when she watches Warner growing and changing every day. His personality is really starting to shine through lately and she can’t help but be amazed sometimes by the fact that this little person is hers. And usually, that wonder over who Warner is becoming is eaten away by the terror that she has no control over the passage of time, and how quickly it seems to be slipping through her fingers.

Nicole is fixing her with another look, but Waverly elects to ignore it in favor of to just heading towards the baby carriers. She’s been eying a specific one for twins online and she’s hoping she can buy it here and save on shipping.

Waverly starts looking through all the brands, and she hears Warner begin to fuss behind her. She doesn't turn around immediately, hearing Nicole try to calm him down, but when the fussing turns to crying, she looks back at them.

“What happened?” Waverly asks immediately.

“I think maybe his teeth are bothering him again? I’m not really sure, just hurry, please?” Nicole bites out.

Briefly, Waverly’s temper flares at Nicole's tone, but then she quickly wonders if her own may have set Nicole off. She didn’t mean to sound accusatory, but now thinks she might have.

“Okay.” Waverly says with a nod as she turns back to the carriers.

Thankfully, whatever Nicole seems to be doing is soothing Warner, so she relaxes a bit, lighting up when she sees the brand she had been searching for.

“Ah, Baby, they have it!” Waverly squeals as she turns back to Nicole.

“Hm? What?” Nicole hums as she looks up from Warner, her finger in his mouth.

“The Weego for twins? I told you about it before!” Waverly says, excited that she actually found what she was looking for.

“What about the price?” Nicole asks, reaching out and flipping the tag over, eyes going wide at the sight of how much the carrier costs.

“Hi there, is there anything I can help you guys with today?” A sale associate asks as she walks up next to them, customer service voice and smile in full effect.

“What? Oh, no we’re fine, thanks!” Waverly says, trying to focus back on Nicole and make her case for the purchase.

Of course, as Waverly starts talking, Warner has started fussing more, whining and flailing in Nicole’s arms as he turns his head away from her.  He’s getting more and more upset as the seconds pass- getting red in the face, even.

“Maybe he needs a diaper change?” Waverly suggests, looking from her crying child to the other people in the store, feeling absolutely judged.

Nicole holds Warner out from her and turns him to the side, sniffing his butt and quickly recoiling.

“Yeah, definitely in need of a change.” Nicole says, turning Warner to face Waverly, slowly extending her arms out.

“Uh, then change him?” Waverly says, cocking an eyebrow.

“Take him, Waverly!” Nicole pleads, “I just can’t.”

“You’re literally already holding him _and_ the diaper bag!” Waverly argues.

Warner is squirming as he lets out a loud wail and that’s the final straw as Nicole holds him close and heads for the bathrooms. Waverly watches as they go for a few seconds before turning her attention back to the carriers.

“So are you purchasing for yourself, or…?” The sales associate asks.

Waverly actually forgot she was there.

“Oh! Ha, no, no, my sister.” Waverly says, stumbling over her words.

“Ah, okay. Well we have…” The sales associate goes on about a few of the products, but Waverly has stopped listening.

She glances down at her stomach, paranoid for a second because someone _actually_ asked if she was pregnant with twins. She looks back at the associate and nods appreciatively before thankfully she’s left to her own devices, grateful it didn’t take long.

Waverly grabs the baby carrier that she wants to buy and starts browsing the other items. She can’t help but find herself surrounded by little girl clothes yet again and she starts absently looking through the little outfits and thinking about how nice it would be to have a little girl of her own.

A small part of her- a very small and petty part of her- is a bit jealous of Wynonna. Waverly likes to think herself bigger than this issue, which is why she never really lets herself feel it, especially around Wynonna. But it _is_ difficult sometimes, knowing that she hasn’t gotten the little girl she hoped for.

Warner is so much more than she could have ever expected. Recently he’s found his toes! Waverly smiles to herself as she thinks about Warner tumbling onto his back as he sucks on his toes. Of course, she takes every opportunity to tickle his feet when he does this, the little giggles and shrieks of happiness filling her whole world with color.

Waverly turns back towards the bathrooms just in time to see Nicole walk out with a much happier Warner in her arms. Waverly smiles as they walk up to her, and she takes Warner from Nicole. He happily snuggles into her, his head curled into the crook of Waverly’s neck as he grabs on to the neck of her shirt.

“You little traitor!” Nicole jokes as she tickles Warner’s neck.

He squirms, hunching his shoulder to get away from the contact as he giggles.

“Baby, can you get the carrier, please?” Waverly asks, pointing at the box she set down next to her

“Waverly,” Nicole starts, sounding as if she is scolding a child, “we can _not_ get that!”

“What? Why not?!” Waverly argues, knowing she would have to defend the price.

“It’s insanely expensive, that’s why!” Nicole says, her voice lowered but words adamant.

“Nicole,” Waverly starts, her voice softening, “I know it’s expensive, but Wynonna deserves this, and it’s not like she has any in-laws to help with this sort of stuff. We’re all they have, c’mon.” She finishes by grabbing Nicole’s hand, running her thumb over her knuckles.

Nicole studies Waverly for a few seconds before sighing and looking up at the ceiling before looking back at her.

“Okay, fine.” Nicole huffs.

“And would this be a bad time to mention that I _really_ need a new car?” Waverly asks.

“Yes, it would be an awful time to mention that. In fact, I’m just going to pretend like you didn’t say it.” Nicole deadpans, walking them over to the front of the store.

Waverly carries Warner, but he’s shifted now, getting a bit restless. She puts him against her shoulder and that seems to do the trick. Though the moment he grabs onto her hair and refuses to let go, Waverly immediately regrets her decision.

“Warner, come on- ow! No, let go of Mommy’s hair, come on!” Waverly says, trying to free herself from tiny grabby hands.

Warner struggles and starts whining as Waverly releases his hands from her hair, small finger by finger. He keeps trying to grab for her hair though, seemingly determined that he should get exactly what he wants, regardless of if it hurts his Mommy.

The whining kicks up into crying as Warner keeps squirming and flips himself around in Waverly’s arms so that his back is against her chest now. He has given up on her hair and has instead focused all of his energy into a full out tantrum.

Waverly can feel herself blushing as she tries to soothe him, but it doesn’t seem to be working in the slightest. In fact, things seem to be getting worse, and Waverly’s not sure this is all about being denied anymore.

Warner keeps crying, and Waverly keeps trying to shush him, to no avail. She’s not really sure what to do because she’s not even sure what exactly is wrong. She’s given a clue when Warner turns himself around and starts grabbing at her boobs, though. When he doesn’t get what he wants, he starts kicking his feet.

They have officially entered full meltdown mode.

In a panic, Nicole grabs for the nearest thing on the shelf and ends up shoving a corduroy toy at them. Warner pauses just long enough to grab on to the blue stuffed puppy and then immediately shoves the dog’s nose into his mouth.

“At least he’s quiet.” Nicole says, hurrying to the registers.

“For now. Thanks for helping.” Waverly says, following quickly after Nicole.

“It was the least I could do.” Nicole shrugs as she loads the box onto the conveyer belt of the register.

Somehow they managed to get an open register, and Waverly is saying a silent prayer that this all goes smoothly.

“Waves, we kind of need the dog.” Nicole says, looking at Waverly expectantly.

“Okay, well, you’re gonna be the one to take it from him because I am _so_ not doing that to myself.” Waverly states.

“Oh god…” Nicole gulps as she gently tries to extract the stuffed animal from Warner’s grip.

He notices and is _not_ happy.

The cashier takes pity on them, Waverly can see it in his eyes, as he hands the toy back to her quickly after scanning it. Warner happily accepts the toy back and starts sucking on the dog’s floppy ears.

“Oh boy…” Nicole groans as she stares at the total on the register’s screen.

Waverly feels a pang of guilt as Nicole grabs for her wallet and inserts her debit card into the chip reader. She knows they’re going to feel this purchase for a little while, but she also knows that Wynonna is going to need all the help they can give her. Besides, the carrier grows with the babies. It’s a smart purchase....if a bit much.

When they make it back to the truck, Waverly climbs in with Warner and situates him to start nursing.

“So we’re doing this now?” Nicole asks, looking over at Waverly as she climbs into the driver’s side.

“Do you want to deal with another meltdown at your parent’s place?” Waverly snaps.

“No, I didn’t mean anything by it.” Nicole says, backing down.

After a few seconds, Waverly sighs, “Sorry, just stressed…”

“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Nicole muses.

Waverly grabs Nicole’s hand with her free one and smiles at her, though the moment is broken prematurely as Warner bites.

“Honey fuck cheerios!” Waverly yells as she lets go of Nicole’s hand and gently pushes Warner back from her breast.

“What the- what is _wrong_ with you?! What does that even _mean_?!” Nicole says as she takes Warner from Waverly.

“It means _your son_ was biting my boob and it hurt! Wanna see how articulate _you_ are when someone bites _your_ nipple, because that can be arranged!” Waverly growls, rubbing her sore nipple.

“Waverly!” Nicole says her name almost scandalized, “This is no time for foreplay!”

She just stares at Nicole for a few seconds, hoping her expression is one of the deep anger and annoyance she’s feeling right now, “I swear to god, Nicole…”

Warner starts making little noises as he grabs for Waverly, and she picks him up, “No more biting! Mommy does not like that kind of behavior, young man.”

Warner pays her no mind as he starts nursing again, and this time it goes smoothly. It doesn’t take them much time at all to get to Judy and Greg’s house. Waverly’s stomach twists as they pull into the driveway.

Just then, her phone buzzes in her pocket, and she fishes it out, only to realize in the fray of the earlier chaos that she has actually missed a few texts from Jamie.

(Received: Jamie 1:25pm)  
Jamie: i know i will i promise!

(Received: Jamie 1:26pm)  
Jamie: also i think i joined a cult jsyk

(Received: Jamie 1:26pm)  
Jamie: but its cool i can dig this

Waverly looks over the texts and can’t help but shake her head in disbelief. Of course Jamie would say something like this after less than a month at the fire station- not that they’ve seen much of her as it is, and Waverly can’t exactly blame her for making herself scarce, but there is still a part of her that wants to.

“Can you get him? I’ve got to get the Pack ‘n Play.” Nicole says as she unbuckles her seat belt.

“Yeah.” Waverly says absently, still smiling over the insane texts from her sister-in-law.

“What’s got you smiling? Did Wynonna send another video of Doc and Dolls trying to figure out how to put the cribs together?” Nicole asks, climbing out of the truck.

“Hm? Oh, yeah.” Waverly says, looking up at Nicole.

“How does she put up with those two?” Nicole asks, laughing.

“It’s a mystery.” Waverly says, quickly unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the truck.

She hates lying to Nicole, especially considering most of the texts from Jamie were innocuous, but she can’t have Nicole asking too many questions. Not when they’re about to go see Judy and Greg.

She doesn’t want to have to make something else up for why she and Jamie are getting along as well as they are lately, either. Who knew that fucked up family dynamics were such good bonding material?

“Hey there, Warner. You gonna be a good boy now?” Waverly asks as she unbuckles him from the carseat and picks him up.

He fusses the moment the stuffed dog falls onto the floor of the truck, so Waverly quickly scoops it up and hands it back to him.

“Is this gonna become a thing, Little Man?” Waverly asks, smoothing her hand through his hair.

“You ready?” Nicole asks, walking up in front of them, waiting for them to follow.

“Yeah, I think Warner has a new best friend.” Waverly says, walking up behind Nicole.

“Don’t tell Orie; he’ll be heartbroken.” Nicole jokes as she presses the doorbell.

It doesn’t take long for Judy to open the door and greet them with high pitched hellos, hugs, and kisses.

“Waverly, Nicole!” Judy exclaims as she wraps them up in hugs, “Oh, and look at you, Warner! You’ve gotten so big!” She gasps as she looks Warner over and smothers him in kisses.

Warner giggles and snuggles into Waverly.

“Aw, Bubba, you feelin’ bashful?” Nicole asks, rubbing Warner’s back before they head into the living room and settle down.

Waverly waits until Judy excuses herself to the kitchen before she hands Warner to Nicole.

“Can you take him? I seriously need to pee!” She says as Nicole takes Warner.

She makes a beeline for the bathroom, but bumps into Greg on her way there. Literally.

“Oh uh, sorry, Greg!” Waverly says, stepping back from him.

“Where’s the fire?” Greg jokes as he steps out of Waverly’s way.

“Sorry, I just have to use the bathroom.” Waverly explains.

“Don’t fall in.” Greg calls as Waverly walks past him.

She makes it into the bathroom and leans back against the door as she closes it. Waverly takes a deep breath in and closes her eyes before slowly opening them again. It’s weird, being back in this bathroom; the memories of talking to Warner in the womb always flood her when she steps back inside. Things weren’t good then, and she’s not really sure they’re good now. Though the problems were simpler before, the issues easily fixed- or maybe they seemed that way because she _wanted_ them to be that way.

Waverly grabs her phone and then sits down on the toilet, texting Jamie while she does her business.

(Sent: Jamie 2:02pm)  
Waverly: Jamie, this is serious, you really need to talk to Nicole. I can’t keep your secrets forever.

She sends the text and waits for a reply. This time, it’s nearly instantaneous.

(Received: Jamie 2:03pm)

Jamie: look i get it ok???? i just need some time is all. i’ll tel her

(Received: Jamie 2:03pm)  
Jamie: *tell  


Waverly contemplates sending a reply, but thinks better of it. There’s nothing she could say that will help the situation. It’s in Jamie’s hands, and it’s not as if Waverly could ever justify telling Nicole something like this. News like this is not supposed to come from anyone other than the people involved, and that is decidedly _not_ Waverly.

Spending the rest of the day and night here, however, is not going to be something enjoyable; not with this Jamie thing hanging over her head. Waverly sighs and finishes up, setting her phone on the counter while she gets herself situated. It’s when she’s washing her hands that she formulates her plan: give as little information as possible about Jamie, or steer the subject away from her if at all possible.

It’s not as if anyone expects her to know, and if her in-laws _do_ suspect something, she’s almost certain no one is going to bring it up. She might be safe, for now.

She swipes her phone from the counter and then heads back into the living room.

“I swear to god, Mom, I’m going to get diabetes if you keep shoveling cookies my way.”

Waverly walks in to see Judy sitting on the loveseat, holding Warner with him standing- very much assisted- on her lap as she coos at him, with Nicole sitting on the couch, eating one of the cookies she was just complaining about. It’s not a bad sight, really. Greg walks into the room from the kitchen just seconds after Waverly sits down on the couch next to Nicole.

“You don’t have to eat them, Nicole.” Greg says as he looks from Nicole to Waverly and winks with a grin.

“You and I both know that is an impossibility. Mom wouldn’t allow it.” Nicole shoots back in reply.

“Neither would your sweet tooth.” Waverly says, patting Nicole’s knee.

Greg laughs, loudly, and Waverly looks over at him, only to catch Warner’s reaction to the sound. His eyes go wide and he jumps a little bit, but thankfully doesn’t cry. He is being a little angel, of course, for everyone but his parents.

“So, Waverly, how’re things in town? How’s your bar doing?” Greg asks as he sits down in his recliner.

“Oh, things are going really well. Business has picked up recently- Summer and all that.” Waverly explains.

“I take it you have a lot of regular customers?”

“Dad!” Nicole interjects.

“What? It’s a small town, Nicole. One can only assume you’ll have barflys there.” Greg says in his defense, though he turns back to Waverly as he continues, “Ever think of turning it into a sports bar? I mean, there has got to be more interest in that sort of thing these days. I could get you in touch with some people who could help you out with that, if you’re interested.”

“Oh, um, no, we have a theme going, you know? It’s a sort of this homage to Wyatt Earp. We get a bunch of tourists wanting to _‘drink where Wyatt Earp drank’_ and see the memorabilia around the place. That sort of thing.” Waverly explains.

“It’s a family thing for her, Dad.” Nicole interjects.

“I can definitely respect that.” Greg says with a nod before he turns his attention to Nicole, “What about you, Kiddo? How’re things at the station?”

Waverly looks over at Nicole and they share a look before Nicole looks over at her father again, grinning.

“It’s going really well, actually. I’m in line for a promotion. I mean, it won’t be happening for a while; the sheriff has to actually retire, but-”

“Sheriff? They’re going to make you sheriff?!” Greg says, excited as he leans forward in his recliner, “See, Nicole? I knew you were destined for bigger things! Glad to see someone there recognizes your potential!”

“Thanks, Dad!” Nicole says with a laugh before continuing, “I mean, like I said, it won’t be for a while, but-”

Greg cuts her off again, “But it’s still going to happen, Kiddo! You’re going to get there! Oh, I am so proud of you; this calls for a celebratory bourbon- some top shelf stuff for my top shelf girl!”

Waverly looks over at Nicole at that, and she sees the blush creeping up her face. Waverly grabs Nicole’s hand and squeezes. She knows how much that comment means to her wife, especially with how rocky things have been between Nicole and her father. But he’s trying, and it shows.

Waverly’s heart swells. Nicole has deserved this moment, this unencumbered acceptance, her entire life and now it’s finally here. Now her father is finally doing what he should have for so long, and it’s kind of amazing to actually see for herself.

“Dad, it’s two in the afternoon!” Nicole argues while Greg goes to the bar in the corner of the room.

“Gregory, what are you doing?” Judy asks, as she sits Warner down on her lap.

“I’m doing exactly what I said I would, Judith. This news deserves to be celebrated!” Greg replies, grabbing the bottle of bourbon.

“Speaking of news; how’s Jamie?” Judy asks, keeping her gaze on Warner.

“Oh, she-” Nicole starts, but Waverly jumps in.

“She’s doing really well, Judy. I’m surprised she hasn’t kept you updated.”

Waverly looks over at her mother-in-law, who doesn’t give anything away- over twenty years of lying probably gives you time to perfect your poker face, after all. She knows she’s probably judging harshly, and maybe it’s a bit of her feelings over her own life bleeding through, but either way, Waverly had to console Jamie that night, and she remembers that fear and uncertainty. It’s not as if she doesn’t find herself still feeling it, sometimes.

It’s no way to live.

Judy and Greg lied over and over again, just for the sake of appearances- or at least, that’s the conclusions she and Jamie have drawn.

“Oh, well, you know how Jamie can be,” Judy says, laughing, “I’m sure she would lose her head if it wasn’t screwed on!”

“Here you go, Kiddo.” Greg says as he hands Nicole a glass of bourbon, the ice clinking against the sides.

“Thanks, Dad.” Nicole says as she takes the glass, not really sounding sold on the idea of it.

“How about we take these into the den, unless anyone objects?” Greg asks, looking at Waverly and then Judy.

Warner babbles, almost in reply.

“Well, I guess you wanna come with us, huh, Half-Pint?” Greg laughs as he goes and takes Warner from Judy. “We’ll see you ladies later.” He says as he makes Warner wave goodbye.

An awkward silence hangs over them as Waverly is left alone with Judy. She doesn’t know what to say or do, and she’s not exactly sure she even wants to talk to her. But they’re going to have to at some point.

“Well,” Judy says as she smacks her hands on her knees, “I’m gonna get myself some lemonade. Would you like some lemonade, Waverly?”

“I, um, yeah, sure.” Waverly says as Judy gets up and walks to the kitchen.

Waverly follows her into the kitchen and leans against the counter as Judy gets the pitcher of lemonade out. Waverly grabs two glasses while Judy pours the drinks. They sip in relative silence until Judy finally breaks it.

“She told you, didn’t she?” Judy asks, though it doesn’t sound like a question.

Waverly hums into her drink before she takes another sip.

“And Nicole?” Judy asks, this time sounding like she’s actually asking.

“I don’t know; you tell me.” Waverly bites out as she sets her drink down on the counter.

Judy places her glass down gently and suddenly looks tired as she replies, “I don’t know what Nicole knows, but she seemed to just accept things back then. She’s always known Jamie as her sister, it-”

“But that’s not true, is it?” Waverly argues, getting angry now.

“It _is_ true, Waverly. We adopted her. All Jamie ever knew was us as her parents and Hayley as her sister. It was the only way to make this whole thing work for everyone.” Judy says in her defense.

“So why even bother coming clean? Why do that to Jamie _now_?” Waverly asks, turning to face Judy.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have! I don’t know, but the guilt was eating me up inside, and I thought that Jamie was finally ready to know the truth. She’s doing so much better now-” Judy gets cut off there.

“And then you go and drop this bomb on her, disrupt her entire life to make _yourself_ feel better!” Waverly argues.

This is more than Jamie. This is about her, too, in some ways. Waverly thinks about Warner, and she knows she could never do something like this to him. No matter how much she was suffering, she would gladly bear it if it meant he got to be happy, safe, and cared for. But Judy couldn’t just leave it there; no, she had to go and rip the rug right out from under her.

“I don’t have to justify myself to _you,_ Waverly!” Judy says, moving just a step closer to her, “Hayley, my bright, sweet girl was just _fifteen years old_ when she _gave birth._ Jamie was so small when she was born, and the poor excuse for her father, that little fucker, just left our family to deal with this on our own.”

Waverly doesn’t say anything; there’s nothing she _can_ say.

“We did the best we could, okay? We did the best we could for our daughter, for our granddaughter-” Judy laughs bitterly at that, “Except for the first few days after we brought her home, I’ve never thought of Jamie as that, you know. She’s always just been my little girl.”

Waverly still doesn’t say anything, but that’s mostly because she can’t think of anything to say. Her thoughts are reeling as she takes all of this information in. Guilt creeps up on her as she realizes she judged too harshly far too quickly. Her own feelings got in the way of everything else. She opens her mouth to say something- apologize, maybe- but she closes her mouth without a word.

“Hayley tried to be the mother Jamie needed, you know…” Judy says, voice soft as she looks down at her glass, breaking eye contact with Waverly, “She tried so hard, and it killed me to watch her struggling. The night she came to us and told us she couldn’t do it, that she felt like she’d failed Jamie...it broke my heart. Do you have any idea how that feels? I had to watch my child break down in front of me, sobbing about how she failed her daughter, and all I could think was that I’d done the same thing, and that’s why we’re here. I couldn’t let Hayley hurt like that. I couldn’t let Jamie suffer for my own failings. We did what we could, Waverly; we did the only thing we knew to do.”

“How did Nicole not know? I mean, Hayley was pregnant…” Waverly says, dropping her gaze, unable to make herself look at Judy right now.

“Hayley hid it from us for a while- long enough where we had no other choice but to really deal with the fact that this baby was going to be a reality. Nicole...from what she’s told us, that was when she was really figuring herself out. I guess a baby took a backseat to her identity.”

“Why didn’t you tell Jamie from the start?” Waverly finds the courage to ask, making eye contact with Judy now.

“I- we- you have to understand, Waverly: Greg was police commissioner, and Hayley just wanted her life back-”

“So you did it to protect your image?” Waverly scoffs.

“It was to protect my family. You don’t know this yet Waverly, but sometimes as mothers, we have to do awful things in order to protect our children, and I pray you never have to go through that, but you will...we all do.” Judy says, her voice cracking.

Waverly opens her mouth to speak, but Judy brushes past her, tears falling. As Waverly turns to watch her go, Nicole comes into the kitchen.

“Hey, Mom. What’s-” Nicole starts, but cuts herself off as she looks her mother over and then sets quizzical eyes on Waverly, “What happened? Waverly, why was my mother just crying?”

“I- you’d have to ask her...or Jamie.” Waverly says, looking away from her wife.

“I’m not asking them, Waverly, I’m asking _you_!” Nicole says, voice getting tense.

“It’s not my place-” Waverly starts, but Nicole cuts her off.

“But it’s your place to make my mother run off crying?!” Nicole bites out.

Before Waverly can even think of anything to say, Greg pops his head into the kitchen, holding Warner with a grin on his face, “So, who’s up for steaks?!”

* * *

 

The ride to the restaurant is awkward and stifled, for the most part. Waverly is pressed up against the door of Judy’s SUV, with Warner in his car seat next to her, and Nicole on his other side, looking out of the window as if her life depended on it. Greg is driving and trying to make small talk that goes absolutely nowhere while Judy doesn’t say much at all. Soft jazz is playing on the radio.

They make it to the restaurant and Warner is happy the moment he is given some of Nicole’s mashed potatoes, but that seems to really be the highlight of the meal. If the drive there was awkward, the drive back to the house is emotionally exhausting.

“You all should have tried the chicken. I thought the chicken was lovely.” Judy says, breaking the awkward silence...though now it feels even more awkward.

Everyone heads into the house when they pull into the driveway, and Waverly makes a beeline for the guest bedroom. All she wants to do right now is change and settle into bed.

She knows she isn’t going to get that, but it’s a nice enough thought.

“We need to talk.” Nicole says as she steps into the room, toweling her hair off from the shower.

Waverly picks Warner up and gets him changed into his pajamas, thankful that she decided to put him in his Winnie the Pooh shortalls for this trip initially. It makes the job of getting him changed that much easier.

“Can it wait until the baby is asleep?” Waverly asks, knowing she sounds both distracted and annoyed because she is.

“Yeah.” Nicole says before she walks over to the bed and sits down, discarding her towel in the hamper as she goes.

Getting Warner to fall asleep thankfully isn’t as big of a production as it usually is- they’ve all had a really long day. Waverly lays him down in his Pack ‘n Play and he doesn’t even stir.

“Okay, go ahead.” Waverly says, turning around to face Nicole.

“What happened earlier with my mom? What are you keeping from me?” Nicole starts in, tone accusatory.

“We had a disagreement…” Waverly trails off, sitting on the corner of the bed in front of Nicole.

“About what, Waverly? Why won’t you just tell me?!” Nicole’s voice gets a bit louder, and Waverly puts a hand on her knee.

“I can’t.” Waverly admits, voice soft as she looks down at the bed.

“I don’t keep anything from you, Waverly. I think, as my wife, you owe me the same courtesy!” Nicole says, voice matching Waverly’s in volume, but tone agitated.

“I’m not saying I don’t want to tell you, Baby, I’m saying I _can’t._ ” Waverly says, grabbing Nicole’s hands. “It’s not my place...but god I wish I could. I hate keeping things from you. You absolutely deserve the truth, but I’m not the one that should be telling you. I can’t betray their trust like that”

“Can you just tell me if-” Nicole cuts herself off.

“Baby?” Waverly asks, concerned.

“Is it my dad? Is he okay? He’s not sick or something, is he? Or is it Jamie? I just- are they okay?” Nicole’s voice cracks, and she looks on the verge of tears.

“Oh, Baby!” Waverly coos as she pulls Nicole into her, cradling Nicole’s face against her chest. “Everyone’s fine. Everyone’s safe.”

Nicole lifts up and kisses Waverly, wordlessly and Waverly kisses her back, pulling her that much closer. Nicole is the one that deepens the kiss, but Waverly is the one that pushes her back on the bed. Nicole doesn’t object when Waverly climbs on top of her, though.

Things starts heating up, their kisses becoming more frantic as Waverly rolls her hips into Nicole’s. Nicole’s hands slide underneath Waverly’s shirt, and Waverly sits up just enough to help her take it off. Nicole slings the shirt into the corner of the room, and it doesn’t take long for Waverly to lean down and continue kissing Nicole again.

“Think you can be quiet?” Waverly asks, pulling back from Nicole.

“If you think _you_ can.” Nicole replies grinning into their next kiss.

Waverly manages to get Nicole’s pajama shorts off without much issue, which she chalks up to a small miracle. She takes Nicole’s hands and places them on her breasts, holding them there as she watches Nicole’s face while she rolls her hips over her erection.

“Waverly…” Nicole says, looking dazed.

Waverly doesn’t respond, she just keeps up her ministrations. It’s only after Nicole repeats her name for the third time that Waverly realizes her wife actually has something to say.

“I didn’t bring any condoms.” Nicole whispers out.

“Well, there goes that…” Waverly trails off, getting off of Nicole and lying down beside her.

“I mean, we could do other things?” Nicole suggests, lilting her statement up at the end.

“Mm, I’ve got an idea.” Waverly purrs, leaning in and kissing Nicole.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, I wanna watch you get yourself off.” Waverly whispers against Nicole’s lips.

“Didn’t see that coming…” Nicole replies, her hand beginning to stroke her cock.

“Mm, but I wanna see _you_ coming.” Waverly says, earning herself an eyeroll from Nicole.

Nicole licks her hand and then resumes stroking herself, her eyes closing as she focuses on the task at hand. Waverly leans in next to her, tilting Nicole’s chin so that they’re facing each other now.

“Mm, you gonna make yourself feel good for me, Baby? I wanna watch you come all over yourself.” Waverly says before leaning in and kissing Nicole.

Waverly watches Nicole’s facial expression change with her motions; the parting of her lips, the hitches in her breath as she picks up her pace. It makes Waverly want to take over, but watching is its own game- one Waverly is enjoying immensely.

“What if someone walked in right now, Baby? Caught you with your hands all over yourself. They could, you know. I’m not even sure we locked the door. Anyone could see the things you’re doing to yourself. Do you want that?” Waverly asks, voice breathy before she leans in and kisses Nicole as best she can, though the contact is broken by Nicole’s movements.

Nicole moans, loudly, as she gets a bit closer and Waverly kisses her again, swallowing the rest of the sounds out of Nicole’s mouth.

“Or do you just want to show me? Hm? Do you want this to just be something I see? How vulnerable you are, how much your cock twitches because you need me so badly? Is that it, Baby? Is it all for me?” Waverly purrs, leaning into Nicole, whose head is back on the pillow, eyes screwed shut.

“All for you.” Nicole breathes out as she stops completely for a few seconds.

“Getting close?” Waverly asks, fingertips trailing lightly over Nicole’s stomach.

Nicole just nods.

“Let me help.” Waverly says as she spits in her hand and starts stroking Nicole, grip tight around her cock.

Nicole whimpers at the contact, lifting her hips.

“I didn’t even need to do that, did I?” Waverly asks, bemused as she swipes her index finger over Nicole’s slit, gathering up the precum leaking out and using it as lube.

“Fuck, please!” Nicole pleads as she practically humps the air, trying to gain as much contact as possible.

“You wanna come, Baby?” Waverly asks, knowing it’s not a question.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Nicole chants as Waverly picks up her pace.

“Remember, be quiet.” Waverly warns.

Nicole moans, clamping her jaw shut as she lifts her hips up. She grabs the side of the pillow and frantically bites at the pillowcase as she screams her muffled orgasm into it.

Waverly doesn’t stop, though. Not even when Nicole tries to squirm away from the contact, she just uses Nicole’s cum as lube and keeps going until Nicole is a panting, writhing mess begging for Waverly to stop, but not using the one word she knows would actually stop it if she needed.

“I want you to come for me again, Baby. Make a mess of yourself for me; come on, I know you can do it. Be a good girl.” Waverly coos, stroking Nicole faster.

“I can’t, I can’t! It hurts baby, it hurts, I can’t!” Nicole is whining, hands clawing at the bedsheets.

“Mm, I think your cock would disagree.” Waverly says as she pulls it towards her and releases it, watching as it bounces against Nicole’s stomach, still as hard as ever.

“I can’t, I can’t.” Nicole says, but she’s looking at Waverly with pleading eyes and not saying their safeword, so Waverly knows these protests are hollow.

“I know you can, Baby, I know you can.” Waverly says as she starts stroking Nicole’s cock again, cum and precum mixing as Nicole gets close again.

It doesn’t take much longer for Nicole to fall over that edge, and this time, they’re kissing when it happens. Nicole’s pulling Waverly as close as possible without disrupting the contact lower down her body.

“Such a good girl.” Waverly hums as she kisses Nicole again.

Nicole barely registers what’s happening, her reaction time a bit slower on the kiss than normal as she twitches with what Waverly can only assume are aftershocks. Waverly leans up, moving a bit over Nicole, stroking her cheek as she tries to check in with her.

“You okay, Baby?” Waverly asks, voice gentle as she strokes her thumb over Nicole’s cheek.

“Mhm.” Nicole hums with a stupid grin on her face.

“Sleepy?” Waverly asks, bemused.

“Mhm.” Nicole replies, eyes closed.

“But you made such a mess... I think you need to be cleaned up.” Waverly says as she moves down Nicole’s body and starts licking and kissing at the strands of cum covering Nicole’s stomach.

Nicole doesn’t even protest. Not until Waverly reaches her cock.

“Fuck…no…” Nicole whines, ending her protests with just sounds.

Waverly pays her no mind as she licks and sucks at Nicole’s soft cock, not trying to get her hard again, just trying to fully appreciate her very hard work. Waverly dips down and licks Nicole’s balls clean, taking a sadistic enjoyment in the small sounds that escape Nicole when she sucks on them.

Soon enough, though, Nicole is as cleaned up as she’s going to be for the night, barring another shower, and Waverly is feeling the rest of their day. All she wants to do now is sleep. When she crawls up the bed, Nicole is already out like a light. Waverly just smiles and shakes her head before she gets up out of bed and turns out the bedroom light before crawling back into bed.

Nicole spoons her almost immediately after she gets back into bed, and Waverly can tell Nicole is still asleep by the way she’s breathing. It’s nice to know that Nicole still needs her, even in an unconscious state.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also whoever is connected to Wynonna Earp and is reading my fics...we need to have a Talk™.  
> This is straight up plagiarism.


	10. Chapter 10

“Okay, Warner; we’re gonna get you all dressed and then we’re gonna head over to see Aunt Wynonna! How does that sound?” Waverly coos at her baby, who is in just a diaper on the floor.

Warner gurgles and babbles in reply.

“Well, I’m glad you seem to approve.” Waverly says as she rubs his tummy, “Can you say Mommy? Mooommy?” She asks.

As half-expected, she gets nonsensical sounds in reply.

“You’re doing such a good job, Sweetheart. We’ll get you talking soon.” Waverly leans down and gives Warner loud, exaggerated kisses before leaning up and then quickly back down again, “Mommy’s going to be your first word, right?”

Warner squeals in happiness, flexing his hands out towards her, and Waverly peppers his face in kisses until he is a squirmy, squealy, little giggle monster.

After a few seconds, she pulls back and collects herself, “Okay, okay; let’s get you dressed.”

Waverly places her hand on Warner’s stomach while she turns to get his clothes...that aren’t there. She forgot them. Of course she forgot them.

“Oh, bother; Mommy forgot your clothes!” Waverly says as she looks down at Warner and tickles his tummy, “You wait right here while I go get you something to wear, okay?”

She stands up and heads towards the nursery. Orie jumps down from the couch and follows her when she starts walking out of the living room, but he doesn’t stay in the nursery long, and Waverly’s grateful, not wanting to have to wrestle another one of Warner’s toys away from him.

Warner was _not_ happy when Orie tried to take Mr. Puppy. They nipped that in the bud- or maybe Warner’s screeching did as much- very quickly.

Thankfully, Warner’s outfit is right where she left it, on top of the dresser, and Waverly quickly swipes it off.  Standing there in front of the dresser, she debates choosing another outfit for him when she hears grunting and squealing from the living room.

“What are you doin’ in there, Little Man?” Waverly asks absently before she abandons her idea and heads back into the living room.

Waverly stops dead when she spots Warner.

He’s crawling.

Well, more he’s doing his best impression of a wounded soldier, dragging himself forward with his arms. Distantly, Waverly blames this newest development on Nicole’s penchant for old war movies.

“Warner! Warner, you’re crawling! Look at you, big boy!” Waverly coos as she scrambles to get her phone out of her pocket.

It doesn’t take long for her to start recording, holding the phone out so she can capture this moment. Unfortunately, Warner topples to his side, not too far from her, and she has to resist the urge to help him back onto his stomach. But after a bit of grunting and rocking from side to side, he manages it by himself.

“You’re doing so good!” Waverly cheers, but Warner’s stopped moving now.

Waverly stops recording as she gets the idea to grab Warner’s stuffed puppy dog and walk a few paces back from where she was originally standing. After she crouches down and starts recording again, she tries to get his attention.

“Warner, look; I’ve got Mr. Puppy! You want him? Come on, crawl to Mommy.” Waverly says as she lightly shakes the stuffed animal in her hand to get his attention.

Unfortunately, the one bounding up to her is Orie, who gets on his hind legs, resting his front paws on Waverly’s knee as he tries to get the toy. When that doesn’t work, he starts trying to lick at Waverly and the toy.

“No, Orie, go lay down!” Waverly chides as she pushes him off of her and tries to turn her attention back to Warner.

Orie keeps trying to get attention for a few seconds longer until he gives up and turns his attention to Warner as well. He trots over and starts licking Warner’s face, and thankfully, Warner doesn’t have a meltdown- in fact, he starts laughing. Goal seemingly accomplished, Orie then runs over to Waverly and looks back at Warner, who starts grunting and pulling himself forward again.

“You tiny genius, Orie!” Waverly lavishes Orie in praise and pets while still recording Warner crawling until he finally gives up and lays down on on the floor, spread out starfish-style.

Waverly immediately sends the video to Nicole. She then starts pacing in the living room, far enough away from Warner to be safe, but still close. But he doesn’t seem to like that after a time because he starts whimpering and fussing.

“Oh, Mommy’s right here, Sweetheart.” Waverly says as she scoops him up. “Did you work up an appetite?”

Warner continues to fuss until Waverly sets him in his high chair. Though upon realization that just being there doesn't immediately produce food, he starts crying again.

“Give me a second.” Waverly says before she goes to the kitchen and grabs a jar of banana baby food and his little spoon.

Waverly dials Nicole’s number and presses it between her shoulder and ear as she remembers to grab a bib before she heads out and sits down at the dining room table, directly in front of Warner.

Nicole picks up when Warner’s mouth is full. Small miracles.

“Did you get it? Did you see?!” Waverly asks, excited.

“What? Is everything okay? Hold on, I just got a message…” Nicole trails off, and Waverly can hear her pressing buttons on her screen.

“Oh my god, Waves, did he-”

Waverly cuts her off before she can finish her sentence.

“He crawled! He was crawling!”

Her excitement is cut short the slightest bit as Warner starts complaining about not getting another spoonful of banana, so Waverly grabs the phone with her free hand and feeds Warner another bite with the other before turning her attention back to Nicole.

“That’s so great, just so _so great_! Oh man, I wish I had been there!” Nicole says, still sounding overjoyed.

“Here, hold on, I’ll put you on speaker.” Waverly says right before she does just that, “Okay, go ahead.”

“Hey, Warner!” Nicole says, and at the sound of her voice, Warner starts squealing and flailing. “Mama is sooo proud of you! You crawled, Bubba! You did it!”

Waverly is crying. She didn’t know she could be this happy, this proud- she didn’t think this amount of happiness was physically possible- yet here she is. She is immensely proud of her baby. He’s accomplishing so much and growing up so fast.

“Waves? You okay?” Nicole asks.

Waverly takes the phone off of speaker when she replies, “Yeah, I’m fine. Just over-emotional like always.” She says with a wet laugh as she wipes her eyes.

“He crawled.” Nicole says softly.

“He crawled.” Waverly agrees, so proud of their little boy.

“I gotta go, Baby. I’ll see you tonight.” Nicole suddenly says in a rush before the call disconnects.

Waverly tries to rein in her annoyance over hearing Summer on the other end of the phone, but she isn’t given too much time to dwell on it as Warner starts smacking his hands down on the tray of his high chair.

“Hey, now; don’t start getting sassy, Mister!” Waverly says, eying Warner.

Warner squeals and babbles in reply as he scoots his body forward- or at least tries to- the high chair not allowing for much movement.

“Alright, alright, I get it.” Waverly huffs, though she’s not really annoyed as she purses her lips at Warner before offering him another spoonful of banana. “One day that isn’t gonna work, y’know.”

Warner doesn’t respond, mouth full of banana.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Waverly muses as she feeds him another spoonful.

Just then, she gets a text. She places the spoon back down in the jar of baby food as she checks her phone. It’s from Nicole.

(Received: Nicole 2:25pm)  
Nicole: Hey Waverly it's Summer, Nicole’s driving atm. Just wanted to let you know that she only got off the phone bc we're on patrol.

Waverly scans over the text and stares at the message. _Summer_ has Nicole's phone.

Waverly takes a deep breath in and then exhales slowly as she writes out a quick reply just consisting of the word ‘Okay’.

She clears her throat and looks over at Warner.

“Okay, little man; let's get you all ready for the day even though the day is mostly over- if you don’t tell anyone I won’t.”

Warner fusses when Waverly wipes his face clean, and he squirms and tries to get away from her when she starts to get him dressed.

“I know you don’t wanna wear clothes, but you have to wear something, Sweetheart. You can’t run around naked.” Waverly says, pulling Warner’s shorts up around his waist. “But you can get away with no shoes today; sound like a good compromise?” The good thing about compromising with a baby is that she can suggest things that aren’t actually compromises.

Warner grunts in reply.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Waverly says, picking him up.

They manage to get out to the truck without incident. It’s the moment Waverly has strapped Warner into his car seat that the telltale red, scrunched up face she has learned to dread, appears.

“No, no, no!” Waverly starts scrambling to get him back out of the carseat, “No poopy face! Come on, we almost left!” She sighs, defeated.

One diaper change and a pit stop at Shorty’s later, they’re finally headed out to the homestead. The drive there is uneventful, and eventually Waverly will stop half-expecting something to actually happen when she makes the drive out here. Then again, they’ll be living out here soon enough, so this drive will become routine again.

It’s funny; she used to make this drive every day for the longest time, and it was an adjustment then, going from living over Shorty’s to the homestead, but it became comfortable. With Wynonna there, the homestead actually became ‘home’. Then Nicole Haught sauntered into Shorty’s and turned Waverly’s whole world upside down in the best way.

Nicole’s house became...not exactly home, if Waverly’s honest- not at first, at least. It took a while to shake the feeling of being a guest, but then they adopted Orie- well, more Waverly insisted and Nicole relented shortly thereafter- and coming home to Nicole settled into routine and comfort. Somehow, when Waverly wasn’t even paying attention, Nicole’s house became theirs, a home they had built _together_ that wasn’t tainted by years of abuse and neglect. Even if Waverly couldn’t truly commit to living there full time yet.

She was shocked when Nicole actually agreed to getting Orie- happily shocked, but shocked, nonetheless. Waverly still remembers practically snuggling up to the crate they’d gotten him for the ride back home.

House training their new and first puppy ever was a lesson in patience Waverly was sure they were going to fail. They had to get up with him even at 3 in the morning to let him out. Sometimes he would whimper and bark to get their attention and be let outside just to play and then the moment they came back inside he would use the bathroom. For all intents and purposes Oreo Henry Haught, their rambunctious mini Australian Shepard, was their test run baby.

Neither of them had any idea that not long after house training Orie Waverly would find out she was pregnant.

She smiles to herself as she remembers the look on Nicole’s face when she found out about the pregnancy. Waverly was pretty sure nothing could beat that look of pure joy- except maybe the one Nicole had on her face when she saw Warner for the first time.

As if on cue, Warner grunts from the backseat and shakes his soft rattle around, the noise drawing Waverly back to the present.

“You ready to go inside, Warner?” Waverly asks, turning back to look at her son, having been parked in the homestead driveway for a few seconds already.

Warner squeals in reply as he flails a little, trying to push himself forward- though his carseat doesn’t allow for much movement.

“I guess so. Okay, let's go!” Waverly says before unbuckling her seatbelt and getting out of the truck.

She slings the diaper bag over her shoulder and gets Warner out of the car seat, hoisting him on her hip as she grabs the styrofoam to-go boxes from Shorty’s.

Waverly closes the truck door with her feet before she heads to the front door. That’s when the dilemma of knocking comes in. She stands there for a second or two before she ends up just kicking the door.

“Open up, I have food and a very cute baby!” Waverly yells, and Warner chimes in with a little wordless yell of his own.

“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Wynonna says as the door swings open.

“If you wanna make it one, I guess. Not like I’m gonna force feed you, or-” Waverly says, but is cut off as Wynonna takes Warner from her.

“There’s my little hugabug! I missed you soooo much!” Wynonna says as she kisses Warner's face.

Warner squirms but giggles, and Waverly’s just glad she can get into the house and set everything in the kitchen without interruption.

The nachos smell amazing, and Waverly is half-tempted to steal a couple, but she doesn’t by sheer force of will. Besides, she’s _pretty sure_ Wynonna would kill her if she tried.

“So, what did you bring me- aside from the cutest little boy _ever_?” Wynonna says, walking into the kitchen, looking at Warner before she turns her attention to Waverly and the styrofoam boxes on the table.

“Food of the Gods. Also, you are _not_ keeping my baby.” Waverly says, looking up at Wynonna.

“Tell Tito thank you...and that’s what _you_ think.” Wynonna says, turning Warner away.

“Mhmmm.” Waverly hums as she opens the box of nachos.

“Take the baby.” Wynonna says immediately, holding Warner out to Waverly.

“Yeah, thought so.” Waverly says, taking her son back.

Warner starts whining immediately and reaches out for Wynonna,

“Excuse you, Mister; where’re your loyalties?” Waverly gets cut off there by a loud screech.

Wynonna takes Warner back, and he quickly settles down.

“Traitor.” Waverly grumbles.

“He just wanted to meet his little cousins! Isn’t that right, Warner?” Wynonna asks, taking Warner’s little hand and placing it on her belly. “This is Lyla, and thiiis…” Wynonna moves Warner over so that his hand is on her other side now, “Is Lulu.”

“Lulu? Really?” Waverly blurts out, eyebrow raised.

“Tallulah. We’re not _that_ backwoods.” Wynonna explains.

“Uh-huh.” Waverly hums, incredulous, before she goes about setting Warner’s playmat on the kitchen floor beside the table. “Gimme that little booger.”

Warner is settled down on the mat when Waverly sits back down at the kitchen table. Wynonna has already started in on the nachos, so Waverly grabs her salad and rips the plastic fork out of it’s little wrapper before she starts to eat.

“So’re those the names you’re going with? Tallulah and Lyla?” Waverly asks between bites.

“Yeah, you got a problem with it, Welcome Earp?” Wynonna asks with a pointed bite of her nachos.

“Okay okay, point taken. But I _do_ like the names; you guys have just been really indecisive, that’s all.”

Wynonna says something, but her mouth is too full for Waverly to follow. She mumbles mockingly at Wynonna and gets a kick in the shin for her troubles.

“Hey!” Waverly yelps.

“Hey!” Wynonna shoots back.

“So, what brings you round these parts?” Wynonna says, pushing the box of nachos in Waverly’s direction as an offer.

“Well, they _are_ building me a house like right next door, you know.” Waverly replies, taking a bite of the nachos.

“And here I was thinking you just missed me.”

“Well, that too.” Waverly says, settling back in her seat.

“What the shit?!” Wynonna exclaims.

“What? What is it?” Waverly asks in a panic.

“We’ve got a runaway baby!” Wynonna says, pointing to Warner.

Waverly looks down at her son, who is now almost completely off of his playmat, tugging himself forward while trying to head out of the kitchen.

“Where do you think _you’re_ going?” Waverly says as she gets up and walks over to him, standing above him with her hands on her hips.

He ignores her.

Typical.

“Hey now, Mommy asked you a question.” Waverly says as she scoops him up.

Cue the screaming.

“Looks like someone needs a nap!” Waverly yells over her crying baby, “I’m sorry about this!” She says, turning to Wynonna.

“Gotta get used to it at some point, right?” Wynonna says with a shrug.

“I think we’re gonna go for a walk.” Waverly says before heading out the door with Warner still screaming up a storm.

By some miracle, Waverly manages to get Warner in the Baby Bjorn, but that doesn’t really seem to soothe him much. He just has to cry this one out, but thankfully, that doesn’t take long and soon enough, Warner is asleep as they make their way over to the new house.

“Sometimes you can be a little demon, you know that?” Waverly says as she strokes her hand through Warner’s hair.

Warner sighs in his sleep.

“Or maybe you’re just the cutest little boy ever.” Waverly says softly.

There are a few crew members working outside when Waverly walks up and she has to ask a couple of them where Jake is, but thankfully one of them has enough forethought to go and get him- it’s not as if Waverly was going to take Warner onto an active construction site.

“Waverly! To what do I owe the pleasure?” Jake says as he walks up with a wide grin.

Waverly opens her mouth to speak, but is cut off before she can say anything.

“Oh no, don’t tell me we had an appointment.” Jake says, looking worried.

“No, don’t worry, this is a surprise visit. Kinda like a pop quiz!” Waverly says, though even she is confused by her own words.

Jake gives her a small look of confusion himself, but quickly brushes past it.

“Well, we’re getting the ductwork finished up today, hopefully. We’ve been making good time, though; still no big hiccups-”

“Hopefully we can keep that forward momentum going.” Waverly says, eager to get into their new home, even if that’s still a ways off.

“Well, in all honesty, you guys are going to be looking at a semi-livable place here in about a month or so- that is, if you’re wanting to get in at the absolute earliest time possible.” Jake admits with a laugh.

“Wait, really? That soon?” Waverly asks, her attention drifting to her phone as it chimes in her pocket

Jake doesn’t miss a beat and keeps talking about where they are with the house while Waverly hums and nods along with the details about the ductwork and what they plan to tackle next- weather permitting- as she scans her phone screen.

(Received: Trisha 4:03pm)  
Trisha: Hey, Waverly, I’m really sorry to do this but I’m not going to be able to continue working at the bar. Things have gotten really hectic and I can’t devote my time to it at the moment. I’m so sorry.

Waverly quickly types out her reply, panicking the slightest bit. Trisha’s tone does _not_ bode well in the slightest.

(Sent: Trisha 4:04pm)  
Waverly: Is this your two weeks notice or is this effective immediately?

Unfortunately, Trisha’s reply is almost instantaneous.

(Received: Trisha 4:04pm)  
Trisha: Effective immediately, again I’m so sorry.  
  
“Shit!” Waverly yells in frustration, only to immediately realize Jake had still been talking and has since stopped abruptly. “I’m sorry, Jake; I just- I have to go deal with something right now and I- We can talk about this later, alright?”

“Is everything okay?” Jake asks, looking concerned, “Do you need a ride, or-?”

“No, no, nothing like that.” Waverly says, brandishing her phone in the air, “Just the fun part of dealing with owning your own business: employees that flake out on you.”

A quick goodbye to Wynonna and a few stolen nachos later, and Waverly is trying to get someone else to fill Trisha’s shift for the night. Unfortunately, either she gets sent directly to voicemail, or she gets a flat-out no. Which leaves her with the one option she did not want to entertain; she’s going to have to go in and cover the shift herself, and as soon as possible. She quickly writes out a text to Nicole, hoping she’s already home, and when she pulls into the driveway, she sees the cruiser parked in front of the house, so at least something has gone right tonight. Which means this has to be a hand-off-baby-and-run scenario.

She gets Warner out of the truck and heads inside the house.

Nicole is in her recliner and looks over when they enter. Orie had started barking the moment the key hit the door, and is currently jumping around, trying to get Waverly’s attention.

“No, Orie, down, down! Bad dog!” Waverly yells before rushing over to Nicole, holding Warner out to her, “Baby, I have to get going, can you take him?”

“Going? Where are you going?” Nicole asks, standing up and taking Warner.

“Haha, very funny.” Waverly deadpans as she walks down the hallway, stripping as she goes, “You know where I’m going, I texted you about it.”

“Uh, _no_ , you didn’t.” Nicole says, following behind her, holding Warner.

“Yes, I _did!”_ Waverly argues, knowing she did indeed text her wife about this, “What, was Summer holding your phone for you when I did?”

Well, apparently that’s coming back around now.

“Wait, are you _mad_ about that?” Nicole asks in a huff as they enter the bedroom.

“Hm, I don’t know, Nicole; what do _you_ think? Ugh, I don’t have time for this!” Waverly groans, motioning with her arm at the clock on the nightstand, her shirt slapping against her thigh as it settles back down at her side.

“What is going on, Waverly?!” Nicole yells, frustrated.

“Think, Nicole!” Waverly growls, throwing her shirt on the bed as she goes to the dresser and pulls out one of her push-up bras, “Trisha ring any bells?”

“Yeah? Isn’t that the girl Champ is marrying?” Nicole asks, voice calmer, though confused.

“That’s what happens when you knock someone up in a town like this, I guess.” Waverly says pointedly.

There’s a tension in the room that wasn’t there before, but neither of them say anything as Waverly continues getting ready for work, skirting past Nicole to get to the closet. Her old Shorty’s shirt is still hanging there. Some things don’t change.

“Real nice, Waverly.” Nicole huffs before she leaves the bedroom.

Well, that stings.

Waverly tries to ignore the growing tension she feels bearing down on her in just their empty bedroom. It’s sort of working as she focuses on getting ready, tying her shirt up and pulling on a pair of high waisted shorts- her usual attire from when this was her usual gig. She knows what draws customers in, and she is damn determined to make this night lucrative for her if she has no other choice.

Just out of curiosity, she checks her phone, scrolling to her texts. She did text Nicole- or she at least meant to...apparently she never hit send on the message. Now she feels guilty for going off on her wife for no good reason. However, Waverly doesn’t have much time to mull it over as she glances at the clock.

“Okay, I’m headed out. I’ll be back late tonight, so don’t wait up.” Waverly says as she walks out of the bedroom and out into the living room.

“Wait, you’re just going to leave me here? What am I supposed to do?” Nicole asks, holding Warner and looking completely lost.

“Be his parent.” Waverly shoots back.

“But what do I _do_? I don’t-”

Waverly cuts Nicole off there as she grabs her purse, “Keep him alive for like 8 hours; think you can manage that?”

“I don’t know his routine, Waves! I mean, it’s not like you ever give me the opportunity.” Nicole bites out in reply.

“Well, congratulations, Nicole. This is me giving you the opportunity- remember to thank Champ Hardy the next time you see him.”

“What the fuck crawled up your ass tonight?!” Nicole snaps.

“I have to go, keep him alive and don’t burn the house down.” Waverly says before she kisses Warner goodbye and heads out the door.

Nicole’s eyes trailed her as she left, she could feel it. There is a part of her that wants to go back inside and hash this whole thing out, properly apologize. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have that kind of time.

* * *

 

_“Keep you warm to make you work it_  
_In the middle of the night_  
_I don't know how she do it, but I know it feels right”_

Waverly weaves through the crowd as she makes her way over to a table full of men fully intent on getting far drunker than they currently are. This has been going on for a little while now, as the night has kicked into full gear, but she can’t exactly complain because the tips have been _really good_ so far.

At her arrival with their drinks, all the men yell their greetings to her with a joy she knows is about sixty percent alcohol talking, but she will absolutely take it if it means more money in her pocket when they close.

_“Like whiskey going down, she's the hit that gets you high_  
_And she's got me all even though it hurts_  
_She's a slow, slow, slow burn”_

Waverly doesn’t stay too long at the table, another order yelled out for her attention. _Of course_ Trisha had to quit on a Friday night.

“How you doin’ over here, Cowboy?” Waverly asks as she slides her hand across the shoulders of the man sitting at the bar.

“Good, good.” Jake says with a grin after taking a sip of his beer.

“If you’re not careful, you’re gonna drink me out of all my Blue Moon. Okay, well, if you need anything else just-” Waverly gets cut off there as another customer walks past her, bumping into her slightly before turning around and taking a second glance.

“Waverly! I hear you’re someone’s mom now....ya know, havin’ babies looks good on ya…”  The drunken man trails off as he smacks her ass hard and then gropes her.

"Hey!” Jake says, moving to stand up from his seat at the bar.

Waverly doesn’t waste any time, “Daryl, if you don’t keep your hands to yourself-” She then twists the large man’s hand around, a motion meant to hurt, “You might not get to keep your hands at all, got it?”

“Ow, ow! Yeah, I got it, I got it!” Daryl says, whimpering in pain.

Waverly waits a few seconds before releasing him and motioning him towards the door, “Now, pay your tab and get out.”

Daryl nods fervently before slinking off to the bar.

“And don’t forget to leave a sizable tip in the jar, Daryl!” Waverly calls out as Daryl makes to leave the bar, only to double back and shove a few bills in the tip jar.

“Wow, that was…hot” Jake trails off as Waverly looks back at him, “How did you know how to do that?”

“I’m a pretty girl in a small town, Jake. Defending myself from creeps comes with the territory.”

Jake just nods along, staring at Waverly as if she’s hung the moon in the sky.

It doesn’t take long for Waverly to really get into the groove of things and settle back into the old routines, making sure every customer is happy, but when the night has finally started to wind down, she’s grateful, wanting to get back home as quickly as possible. She misses Warner, and she does actually want to make up with Nicole. However, Waverly is pretty sure any reconciliation is going to have to wait until tomorrow, given that it’s almost closing time and she doesn’t expect her wife to be up when she slinks back in the house.

There are still a few stragglers hanging around- mostly the usual crowd, though one notable new addition is Jake, who is still seated at the bar, nursing his drink with a goofy grin on his face as he waves Waverly over.

“Waverly! Hi!” Jake says, seeming excited by the prospect of seeing her, as if he didn’t call her over. “You’re...wow, you’re really great, you know that?” He asks earnestly as he tries to scoot closer to her, even with the bar between them.

“You’ve been telling me that for the past half hour, Jake. I think it’s high time I cut you off.” Waverly says, grabbing his glass.

Thankfully, Jake doesn’t argue.

“Have I? But no, you’re really, really amazing Waverly and you’re so nice? Everyone around here raves about you and I just- wow, I can’t believe you’re real. Like you own this whoooole place!” Jake leans back and stretches his arms out wide.

“Yeah I do, and I don’t wanna be cleaning your blood up off the floor if you fall. So, don’t fall.” Waverly says sternly, and that gets Jake’s attention as he rights himself in his seat.

Before Waverly knows it, everyone has cleared out of the bar and she’s started to wipe it down, though Jake is still sitting there grinning like a fool every time she looks over at him.

“Jake?” Waverly starts, looking over at him.

Jake hums in reply with a lazy, drunken smile.

“Bar’s gonna close soon.” Waverly says, even though it practically already _has_ closed down.

“Is it?” Jake asks, looking around, noticing probably for the first time that he’s the only one left.

“Yeah, c’mon, big guy; I’ll give you a ride home.” Waverly says as she walks around the bar.

“What? No, I couldn’t!” Jake starts to protest, but Waverly’s having none of that.

“Hey now, you’ve been tipping me big all night; you’ve practically paid for the ride home at this rate, and while I’m not one to tell a man how to spend his money- especially when I’m benefitting from it- you don’t _actually_ have to tip after every beer you order.”

Jake snorts with laughter at that.

“I know that, Waverly. I wanted to do that. You deserve that, dealing with these guys that were in here tonight.” Jake says, turning back around as if any of the other patrons from the night will be there.

“Let’s get you home, okay?” Waverly says, trying to usher Jake out.

“Yeah, alright. So long as it’s not any trouble.” Jake says as he stands up from his seat, only to sway and catch himself on the bar.

“Whoa there, big fella; let me help you out, okay? I got ya.” Waverly says as she catches Jake and lets him lean on her a bit as she leads him out the door of the bar. “Just wait right here while I lock up.”

Jake hums in reply while Waverly makes quick work of locking the bar up, thankful her Jeep is only a few feet away. She can use all the help she can get tonight.

_“You're hallelujah, Sunday morning_  
_All I've ever needed, wanted_  
_Underneath this pale moon sky  
_ _I'm gonna make you mine.”_

The song plays softly on the radio as they head down the road. After practically pouring Jake into the passenger seat of the Jeep, Waverly was hoping for a small reprieve, with no such luck.

“Waverly…” Jake says, looking over at her.

She can feel his gaze on her, but she tries to ignore it, assuming he’ll tire himself out soon.

“Waverly.” Jake says again, sounding just a bit more put together.

Waverly hums in reply, sneaking a glance over at him before returning her gaze to the road.

“You’re so fucking pretty.” Jake says with all the earnestness a drunk man can possess.

“Oh yeah?” Waverly asks, knowing she sounds amused because frankly, she is.

“Yeah…” Jake trails off, pausing long enough that Waverly assumes he’s passed out, but he hasn’t. “I know I’m not supposed to tell you that, but you really are the most beautiful woman I have ever met.”

“You don’t get out much, do ya, Jake?” Waverly asks with a laugh.

“You’d be surprised.”

“Mm, I don’t know how surprising it would be; you’re not so bad yourself.” Waverly says, stopping at the only traffic light which is, of course, red, “You’ve got that whole…” Waverly gestures vaguely to Jake’s face, “Ruggedly handsome thing working for you.”

“You think so?” Jake asks, sounding genuinely surprised, the look on his face almost awestruck.

Waverly takes a deep breath in before putting her foot on the gas, thankful the light has changed, “I think you’re drunk.”

“I might be drunk, but I’m still telling the truth, Waves.”

“If you say so.” Waverly says as they take the turn down Jake’s road.

“Nicole is a lucky woman.” Jake says, sounding almost disappointed. “I mean really, _really_ lucky to have you.”

“Getting dangerously close to sounding like I’m some sort of trophy, Cowboy.” Waverly says as she pulls into Jake’s driveway.

“What? No! You’re way more than that, Waverly! So much more. I can’t even explain how amazing you really are. You’re just...you’re like sunshine or something. I don’t know...warm…”

“Now you’re just making assumptions. Come on, let’s get you inside.” Waverly says, unbuckling her seat belt.

Jake puts his hand on her wrist, “Wait, Waverly…”

Suddenly, everything feels far too intimate. The way her name sounds rolling out of Jake’s mouth, the gentle touch of his fingers on her wrist, the radio playing softly. The Jeep has never felt this small before, and yet it catches Waverly that conversations in cars are always this weird liminal space, somehow.

“Come on.” Waverly says, but her voice comes out much softer than intended.

Jake just keeps looking at her, and in an effort to break whatever spell this is between them, Waverly leans over and grabs the handle of the passenger door.

“Waverly…” Jake breathes out.

There’s a split second where times stops completely, she could think about anything, but nothing is coming to mind, and then Jake’s lips are on hers. The kiss is gentle and tentative at first, then it becomes something more as Waverly kisses back. His hands go to either side of her face as her tongue slips in his mouth and all she can think of is oranges.

Jake tastes like oranges.

At that thought, Waverly pulls back completely, settling back into her seat, staring at Jake in horror. Her fingers find her lips and she realizes the horror she feels is all directed at herself.

What has she done? How could she have let this happen?

“I’m married!”

“Waverly, I- I’m so sorry-” Jake starts, but gets cut off there.

“Just go sleep it off, Jake. I- I have to go home.” Waverly says, turning towards the steering wheel, getting situated in her seat.

Jake sits there for a second or two without saying a word until he unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out of the Jeep. Waverly doesn’t wait for him to get inside before she speeds out of there.

And then she’s outside her house in the driveway, just sitting in the Jeep, staring at the front door. Going inside is not an option yet. She can’t face her life- not right now, not after she has essentially thrown a bomb into her marriage and Nicole doesn’t even know. Waverly’s not sure how to tell her, or if she’s even going to, and she hates herself for that.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Waverly screams as she slams her hands down onto the steering wheel.

It takes a few minutes to compose herself before she actually heads inside the house, where everything is normal. Orie is asleep on the couch with Whiskey curled up next to him. Nicole is in her recliner, and it takes a few seconds for Waverly to realize that she’s asleep.

There is an open container of Chinese take out on the coffee table next to an empty baby bottle. Waverly’s pretty sure Whiskey will get into that if she doesn’t clean it up, but right now, that doesn’t seem as important as her family.

Warner is curled up on Nicole’s chest, sound asleep. The two most important people in her life are right there. They’re dreaming and safe and happy. She can’t ruin that, but she knows she already has.

Waverly officially hates herself.

“Baby?” Nicole’s deep, sleep-soaked voice breaks Waverly out of her pity party.

“Hey.” She manages, not really knowing what to say.

“We tried to wait up for you, but I guess we kinda failed at that.” Nicole says, rubbing Warner’s back. He makes small noises at the contact, “We missed you tonight.” She says, looking up at Waverly.

“I missed you, too.” Waverly says, taking Warner from Nicole.

“Don’t be mad, Baby; please, I’m sorry for earlier, I-”

“I’m not mad; it’s fine, everything’s fine. I’m sorry I was such an ass- you didn’t deserve that.” Waverly says before leaning down and kissing her wife.

“Mm, you taste different.” Nicole hums as she pulls back from the kiss.

“Let’s go to bed.” Waverly says, trying to dismiss Nicole’s observation and ignore the guilt twisting in her stomach.

“Gotta put the baby to bed.” Nicole says, still sounding half-awake.

“I got him; you head in, I’ll meet you there.” Waverly says as Nicole gets up from the chair and pads down the hallway.

“Okay, Baby.” Nicole says after a considerable pause, yawning in the middle of her statement.

Waverly carries Warner into the nursery, setting him down into his crib. She stands there for a few seconds to make sure he’s actually asleep, and then can’t help but break down and talk to him. Needing to get some of her thoughts out of her head.

“There’s something you’re probably going to figure out really quick, baby boy, and that’s that me and your Mama aren’t perfect by any means, but I promise that I will do everything in my power to protect you. Anything.” Waverly says, watching her son sleep, “Giving you the best life I possibly can is my main priority; you deserve everything I never had.”

Waverly walks down the hallway and into the bedroom, where Nicole is curled up on the bed, and Waverly is pretty sure she’s asleep. It doesn’t take long for her to strip off her clothes and climb into bed, snuggling into her wife, who rolls over at the contact.

“Missed you so much, Baby.” Nicole says, sleepily.

“Missed you too.” Waverly replies, trying desperately to ignore the churning of her stomach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be completely honest about Wynonna's canon pregnancy, I am firmly of the mind that she is going to have a little girl and name her Alice after Doc's mother (hence why they gave us that historically accurate information on screen) but that story is not this story. I hope you enjoyed finding out the twins' names!


	11. Chapter 11

”Haught!” Dolls yells Nicole’s name like a command as he storms past her desk from Nedley's office and into the makeshift Black Badge office.

Nicole looks up from her paperwork and watches him go; she’s not sure what happened, but she _is_ sure she’s supposed to follow.

“Who pissed in his cornflakes this morning?” Summer whispers as she looks from Dolls over to Nicole.

“I’m sure it’s just stress or something.” Nicole finds herself saying as she gets up and starts toward the Black Badge office.

She hears Summer say something as she enters the office, but she doesn’t have time to actually register the words.

Dolls is standing at the table a few feet in front of her when she gets in, and almost immediately upon seeing her, slams a thick folder down on the table.

Nicole doesn’t say anything. Nothing seems appropriate; not yet. She walks over to the table and flips open the folder, scanning the report sitting on top.

“This is our newest assignment. Seems Purgatory has come down with a case of Hellhounds.” Dolls says, his eyes boring into her so hard she can feel his gaze without looking up.

“Wait, shapeshifting?” Nicole asks, zoning in on the word and looking up from the report, “So...we’re basically dealing with werewolves?”

“Pretty much, but ‘Hellhound’ sounded cooler.” Dolls says as he takes the report from Nicole and walks over to the whiteboard, pinning pictures up as he continues to talk, “Besides, it’s were _wolf._ Singular. So far we seem to only be dealing with one, and we need to keep it that way at all costs.”

“So what do we know?” Nicole asks as she studies the pictures Dolls is pinning up. Mostly they consist of crime scenes- the cow carcass she and Dolls were investigating is pinned up, and she can’t help but let the shock show on her face. She voiced her concern over that very case. She thought they had it covered- _they_ thought they had it covered. Yet here they are.

“It seems we’re dealing with a male looking for a mate, given the hunting grounds and patterns. It all seems animalistic but...calculated?” Dolls explains, looking back at her.

“An alpha?” Nicole asks, interest piqued.

“That’s a myth, actually. Real wolves are just family units. He’ll be looking for a suitable candidate to start a family with.” Dolls corrects.

“Wait, okay, is this guy some sort of predator walking around kidnapping women?” Nicole asks, turning towards Dolls.

If there is some creep out there on the streets, she _definitely_ wants to know about it. She has her own family to protect, after all.

“I don’t think we can entirely rule it out since we don’t totally know what we’re dealing with yet. I’ve started keeping an eye on the missing persons reports in town, and thankfully nothing new has cropped up.”

“How are we just figuring this out now? Wouldn’t we have seen the signs sooner?” Nicole questions, already on edge. She can’t help but blame herself. She should have been paying better attention on patrols. She should have dug deeper into the animal dismemberments. She should have done her job. She should have been a better cop-

“The current running theory is that he’s new in town. But it could easily be a matter of his previous mate dying, or maybe even just the time of year has set everything in motion.” Dolls says, sitting down on the corner of the desk as he talks.

“But if he had been in town, we would have noticed. Even if he had kept a low profile, there would have been _something_ .” Nicole argues, latching on to the idea that she didn’t miss anything. She’s _sure_ there was nothing to be found before now.

“That’s why the running theory is that he’s new in town, Haught.” Dolls says, looking at her with an expression she can’t quite pin, but it feels uncomfortably close to pity. “As it stands, we know now and we’re doing something about it.”

Nicole looks around the office and realizes she’s the only one here. “We? Where is everyone else? Wynonna, Doc, Waverly?”

“This isn’t a Revenant.” Dolls says before grinning widely, “Meaning, it’s fair game. Besides, I can’t really go wrong putting Purgatory’s finest on the case.”

“Really?” Nicole asks, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

“That, and Wynonna refused to come if I didn’t supply her a personal box of donuts...which I did, and then she waved me off, talking about how she needed to be _alone_ with the box of donuts… Honestly, I think it’s a shame thing?” Dolls says, staring off and looking confused as he recalls the memory.

Nicole nods, remembering the many times when Waverly was pregnant and yelling about not wanting to be judged when eating, even if Nicole was just staring in shock.

“And Doc?” Nicole asks, bringing Dolls back to the present.

“Studying. Our dear Henry has decided to become a dental hygienist, and we’re all very proud.” Dolls says with a cheesy grin, “So long as he remembers to keep his hands out of _our_ mouths, of course.”

“Isn’t he already a dentist?” Nicole asks.

“Turns out his credentials from the 1800’s don’t exactly fly in 2017.” Dolls clarifies.

Nicole makes a bemused noise before looking back at all the evidence in front of her and considering their options.

“How do we know the suspect is male?” Nicole asks, realizing there is no real indication she can see.

“The severity of the attacks and the size of the paw prints left at the scene all indicate we’re dealing with a frenzied male.” Dolls supplies in explanation, “The last time I saw this sort of thing, it was a male looking for a mate, so I’m not about to ignore the signs. Not again.”

With the way his posture has tightened and the way his jaw is set, it feels as if there is more that Dolls just isn’t saying, but Nicole knows better than to press the matter.

“What do we do now?” Nicole asks, breaking the tense silence.

“We do our jobs and hunt a monster.” Dolls states firmly.

“But isn’t it a person, too? I mean, we can’t just ignore that.” Nicole argues.

“I’ve seen these things with my own two eyes, Nicole. If it gets to a certain point, all hope is lost. We’re not out to kill- not yet. We’re going to do everything to avoid that option. But if push comes to shove, you’ve got to be prepared to do what’s necessary.”

“Even if-”

“He won’t be innocent, Nicole. He’ll have blood on his hands, like every other demon or monster we’ve gone after. Revenants wear human faces, too, but it doesn’t make them one.”

Nicole walks out of the Black Badge office, only to be immediately met with a small woman invading her personal space as she crosses the threshold.

“Excuse me, Deputy!” The woman says, though Nicole can tell it’s not out of politeness but more an act to grab attention.

“Um, yes?” Nicole asks, very confused as the woman holds her phone out. “Wait, are you recording this?” She asks, holding her hand in front of her face.

“Don’t worry, it’s just voice. I, um-”

“Miss, you can’t be back here-”

“My name is Colby Drake. I’m a journalist with _The Purgatory Times_ , and I was just speaking to Sheriff Nedley but I seem to have hit a brick wall.” Colby says as she glares back at Nedley’s office before returning her gaze to Nicole.

“Wait, Colby Drake? Weren’t...weren’t you my wedding photographer?” Nicole asks, thoroughly confused now.

“Was I?” Colby asks, though it sounds more like a brush-off than anything else, “Anyway, do you think you could answer a few questions? I-”

“You- you really can’t be back here.” Nicole says, ushering Colby back to the correct side of the front desk.

“Look, I just have a few-”

Nicole cuts her off there.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss anything right now. My boss has already told you all we are able to say, and that’s that. Sorry, but I really can’t talk about this now.” Nicole says, trying to dismiss her.

“You don’t even know _what_ I’m asking about.” Colby challenges.

“You already got a statement. So if you’re not here to fill out a report of some kind-”

“I lost my cat.” Colby states firmly, defiant.

“ _Really_?” Nicole asks, exasperated, raising an eyebrow.

“I. Lost. My. Cat. _Officer_.” Colby bites out her words.

Nicole sighs and grabs a lost pet form. “Name?”

Colby clears her throat before answering,

“Why is nobody questioning the very pregnant woman out shooting people in broad daylight?”

Nicole looks up at her.

“Sorry, _Drake_ . Why is nobody questioning the very pregnant woman out shooting people in broad daylight _Drake.”_

They just stare at each other for a few seconds.

“That’s her name, Officer…” Colby trails off before scanning Nicole’s name tag, “Haught.”

Nicole sees the dawning of realization on her face.

“Wait...shit, I had sex with your sister, didn’t I?” Colby asks, the words tumbling out of her mouth in horror.

Nicole sighs as she replies, “Yeah. You did.”

An awkward silence falls over them for a few seconds.

“Soooo...about my cat…”

“Get out.” Nicole states, pointing towards the door.

“Yep, that’s about right.” Colby says with a curt nod, “Before I go, though: can you confirm or deny the existence of a portal to hell in the basement of the local bar?”

Nicole just glares.

“Nope. Okay.” Colby says, her words clipped, before she leaves the station.

“What was that all about?” Summer asks as she walks up to Nicole.

“Just another tourist, I think.” Nicole says, tearing her gaze from the front doors to Summer.

“No, I meant with ‘Agent Dolls.’” Summer says in a high-pitched, mocking tone complete with air quotes.

“It was nothing; don’t worry about it.” Nicole says, trying to squash Summer’s curiosity.

Frantically, she writes out a text to Jamie as she heads back into the Black Badge office.

“We have a problem.” Nicole says to Dolls without looking up from her phone.

She has multiple problems that have just surfaced all at once with the appearance of Colby Drake, but she can only do so much. A quick warning text to her sister has to be enough for now.

[Sent: Jamie 1:39pm]  
Nicole: Remember my wedding photographer that you slept with? She’s in town.

Nicole sends the text and then looks up at Dolls, who doesn’t seem to be waiting very patiently.

“I just had my wedding photographer in here asking why no one is addressing a very pregnant woman shooting people in broad daylight.” Nicole says, and even she can hear the accusatory, anxious tone in her voice.

“I’m gonna need a little more context for that sentence for it to make even the tiniest bit of sense.” Dolls says, blinking at her from his seat at the table.

Nicole sighs, “The photographer is a journalist now, and apparently word got out about Wynonna. Or, I don’t know, maybe she just _shot someone_ in the middle of the street.”

“I could see it if someone tried to take her donuts away.” Dolls says with a chuckle.

“This isn’t funny, Dolls! I-” Nicole gets cut off by her own cellphone ringing in her hand.

Jamie’s calling.

“Now isn’t really a good time, Sis-”

“You know what else wasn’t a good time?” Jamie just launches in, barrelling over Nicole, “Getting that text in the middle of Piggly Wiggly. I was in front of the _milk_ , Nicole!  Swore in front of a child, _Nicole_! I might have traumatized a kid, all because you had the _audacity_ to...to send me a _text_ saying that Colby, the woman who slept with me and ghosted me, is in town! You didn’t even think it was worth a _phone call?!_ ”

“Tone it down a notch or five, _Jameson_.” Nicole bites out, already exhausted by her sister’s dramatics.

“We had a connection, Nicole! What I felt was _real_! Our bodies and souls connected on a visceral level-”

“You were drunk and it was a one night stand! Besides, if you want her so badly, now’s your chance. Given her antics in my station just a few minutes ago, you two are prefect for eachother! Your crazy definitely matches up!” Nicole yells before she hangs up the phone, slamming it on the table beside Dolls.

Nicole huffs and glares at it, half-expecting Jamie to call back. She knows she won’t, though. Not after that. But Nicole is banking on Jamie blowing up her phone with texts later, when she thinks of the perfect comeback...or if she does end up getting with Colby.

“Sorry about that.” She finally says, trying to calm herself down.

“Don’t worry about it. In the middle of your family drama, I figured out what happened.” Dolls says smoothly as he holds his phone out to Nicole.

A YouTube video plays, showing Wynonna, heavily pregnant and in the middle of the street in front of Shorty’s. The camera is pretty shaky, so it doesn’t stay on her the whole time, though Nicole can hear Wynonna monologuing as the camera faces the ground. Eventually, it steadies out and finds Wynonna just before she shoots the Revenant in the head, a portal opening up beneath him, sucking him into Hell.

“Well...shit.”

“All those views, no wonder you had a journalist in here asking questions.”

Nicole's eyes flick to the view count, her brain registering that the number is high, but after the first two digits, it just internally keysmashes.  

“So what do we do about this?” Nicole asks, looking back at Dolls.

“Leave that to me; I can handle damage control.” Dolls says, turning his phone back towards him, “Besides, from the look of the comment section, we’re in the clear. One of them, _OntheDL_ says, and I quote, ‘This looks like a low budget syfy show. They could have at least tried.’ And then they added a bunch of emojis that I don’t really understand.”

“Yeah, Waverly does the same thing. I’m still trying to decipher some of those…I just don’t get the airplane one...”

“Haught,” Dolls says, looking pained before continuing, “I really don’t want to hear about you and Waverly sexting.”

“But that’s not…” Nicole trails off before it hits her, “Oh!... _oh_...oooh…”

“Well now that you’re all caught up, get out.” Dolls deadpans, motioning for the door.

Nicole hesitates for a second and then opens the door, looking back at Dolls from the entryway, “Okay, but the next time I have someone in here from the Purgatory Times, it’ll be your ass, Xavier.”

“What did you just say?” Dolls calls back.

“You heard me.” Nicole says with a grin.

Said grin falters as Dolls replies, “Haught, _The Purgatory Times_ isn’t a real newspaper.”

* * *

 

Nicole has never been so happy to see her front door than in this very moment. Her work day was long- emotionally taxing more than anything else. But home is good; home is where she can try to unwind for a little bit.

She can already hear Orie barking on the other side of the door the moment she puts the key in the lock. As anticipated, he’s jumping all over her now in his excitement as she opens the door.

“Hey, Buddy! Missed you, too.” Nicole says as she leans down and pets him.

Walking inside the house, she spots Warner sitting up on his playmat, wooden spoon in hand as he hits a large, plastic bowl with rapt attention.

“There’s my little deputy! Hi there, Bubba!” Nicole gasps as she walks towards him.

Warner looks up and squeals as soon as he sees her. He flails a bit as he rocks back and forth before making a beeline for her, crawling as fast as he can- which isn’t that fast, yet. She knows that will change with time, but for now, she just watches him make his way towards her before she scoops him up in her arms.

“Did ya miss me? I missed you!” Nicole says before she gives his cheek and then the other loud, exaggerated kisses that earn her happy baby laughter.

There is probably nothing better than coming home to Warner’s laughter.

“Let’s go find, Mommy, okay? Where is she, Warner? Do you know where Mommy is?” Nicole asks as she holds Warner on her hip, making her way down the hall.

Warner babbles in reply, some of the sounds almost sounding like words, but she knows he’s not quite there yet.

“Oh really?” She asks, looking down at him , and he looks back at her and babbles some more. “Is Mommy in there? Is she in there? I think she is!”

They walk into the bedroom to find Waverly heading into the bathroom, though she keeps the door ajar, doing her makeup.

“There she is! There’s Mommy!” Nicole says, bouncing Warner gently, and he squeals in reply, reaching out for Waverly before turning his attention back on Nicole.

“Don’t get him riled up unless you want to deal with the meltdown when I leave.” Waverly sighs, sounding exasperated as she continues to do her makeup.

Nicole looks at her, confused for a second, until she remembers exactly why Waverly is getting all dolled up- she has another shift at the bar tonight.

“Pullin’ out the big guns, aren’t ya?” Nicole asks with a smirk, looking her wife over.

“What do you mean?” Waverly asks, pausing to look back at Nicole.

“I mean you brought out the push-up bra tonight. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you’ve got a hot date.” Nicole jokes.

Waverly looks back at her reflection in the mirror, finishing up her makeup as she replies, sounding distracted, “Oh yeah...A hot date with a plate of nachos, if I’m lucky.”

“Oh, I am _sure_ you could get lucky tonight, if you wanted.” Nicole says with a smirk as she looks at Waverly through the mirror.

“Mm,” Waverly hums before turning around to face Nicole, “As tempting of an offer as that is, you're currently holding the result of the last time I got lucky while wearing my Shorty's uniform.” She passes her hand through Warner’s hair before she steps out into the bedroom. “Or at least half of it- I’m smart enough to not wear a skirt into that bar even if I own it.” She calls out from over her shoulder as she pulls on her Shorty’s jersey, deftly tying it up at her waist.

“You _were_ talking about having more kids…” Nicole ventures.

“I was _joking_ , Nicole!” Waverly snaps, though there is no bite behind it as she smiles.

“Oh thank god.” Nicole blurts out with a sigh of relief.

“We’re not even out of the woods with this one yet. I am _not_ about to put myself through that chaos again so soon.” Waverly says, pointing to Warner.

“I mean, I think we made a pretty good kid...” Nicole says as she gently bounces Warner in her arms.

“Well of course we did. He’s perfect...when he wants to be.” Waverly says, eying Warner before she goes over and grabs his hand, gently shaking it before kissing his cheek, “Isn’t that right, you little stinker?”

Warner babbles in reply.

“You need a ride?” Nicole asks, looking at Waverly.

“No, I’ve got it covered,” Waverly says, meeting her gaze “But thank you, Baby.”

“Of course.” Nicole says with a smile, glad to see Waverly relaxing enough to feel like herself again.

“I’ve gotta go…” Waverly trails off.

She isn’t moving, though. They’re just standing there in the middle of their bedroom, and Nicole can’t bring herself to tell Waverly to go, no matter that they both know she should.

Waverly pulls Nicole out of her own head by literally pulling her close and kissing her on the lips- gently, but very much _there._

It doesn’t last long enough as Waverly pulls back and Nicole begrudgingly opens her eyes.

“You sure you have to go?” Nicole asks, voice soft.

“Yeah,” Waverly checks the time and then starts towards the bedroom door, “I’ll be back late, don’t worry about waiting up.”

Nicole follows after her, Warner starting to fuss in her arms when they get back into the living room. She sets him back down on the playmat and he picks up the wooden spoon, hitting the bowl again, though not directly striking it at first.

Waverly turns back to Warner and kisses him goodbye and Nicole finds herself immensely grateful that he is still distracted as Waverly stands back up and heads for the front door. No meltdown as of yet, and if they play their cards right, Nicole might get to avoid it altogether.

“Have a good night.” Nicole says at the door, Waverly standing on the porch. At the look she gives her, Nicole adds, “ _Try_ to have a good night.”

“I’ll try.” Waverly replies with a weary smile before she leans up and kisses Nicole goodbye.

The kiss is more than a small peck. There’s some heat behind it- some hunger. Nicole meets Waverly for it, kissing back with just as much emotion. They pull back, but Waverly goes in for a few more smaller kisses, and Nicole can’t complain until finally Waverly pulls herself away, and she watches her get into the jeep before closing the door and turning back towards Warner.

“Okay, Bubba, it's just us now.” Nicole says, walking over to Warner.

Warner is sitting on his playmat, spoon in hand- though not doing much but blinking slowly and smiling.

“What are you doin’ over there, huh?” Nicole asks before she stops dead in her tracks, “Whew! Guess I know what you’re doing.” She says, crinkling her nose at the smell.

Just as she is about to go pick him up to get his diaper changed, her cellphone rings, the distinctive tone of her little sister.

“Okay, okay, hold on, Warner; Mama’s gonna get you all cleaned up in just a second, okay?” Nicole says before she answers her phone, cradling it between her shoulder and ear. “Hey, this isn’t really a good time.”

“See? There’s this thing called timing. Guess you know how it feels now.” Jamie bites in reply.

“Jamie, really I can’t-” Nicole cuts herself off as she leans down to pick Warner up and notices the fact that his onesie is stained all up his back. “Oh god. No, no, no! What do I do? Oh Jesus Christ, it’s everywhere!”

“What’s going on?” Jamie asks, alarmed.

“Waverly just left for work, and Warner just majorly shit himself.” Nicole says, not really wanting to even pick her son up, but knowing she has to combat this issue at some point, and the sooner the better.

Jamie’s just laughing hysterically, and Nicole wants to throw her phone across the room.

“I’m gonna have to-” Nicole cuts herself off, pretty sure her sister can’t hear her over her laughter.

Warner looks up at her blankly, mouth agape, farts, a pause, and now he’s crying.

“God damn it!” Nicole huffs before she abandons her phone and throws it on the couch.

Warener’s reaching out for her, all red-faced and supremely unhappy, and Nicole hates herself for hesitating, but she still does it. She’s looking around for something to hold him with, but is coming up empty, so she just does what needs doing and picks him up under his arms. She’s holding him out away from her as she rushes them both to the bathroom, grateful that the door is open.

Whiskey runs out of the bathroom the minute Nicole steps in with Warner, and she has to work to not trip over her. “Whiskey, get out of here!”

Jamie’s calling back- Nicole can hear her ringtone, but she’s not going to answer.

“Okay, okay, just stay right here, baby boy. Mama will be right back, I promise.” Nicole says right before she rushes out of the bathroom and tears into the nursery, grabbing the nearest clean diaper and heading straight back into the bathroom.

Nicole’s relieved beyond words that Warner hasn’t moved from his spot and managed to drown himself in the few seconds she left him sitting in the empty tub- horror stories of that exact scenario have haunted her since she heard them. She might know better, but it’s still a fear in the back of her head, even if he doesn’t have the dexterity to turn the faucet on, yet.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, Bubba.” Nicole says as she turns the water on, holding the showerhead away from Warner as it heats up to an acceptable temperature, thankful it doesn’t take long.

She can still hear her phone going off in the living room, but she’s not too concerned with her sister. Not when she has a poop-covered crying baby to worry about.

“It’s all up your back and on your shorts and just everywhere...Let’s get these dirty clothes off of you, okay? Mama’s gonna make it all better, Warner.” Nicole coos as she strips Warner of his soiled shorts, only pausing as she gets to his onesie.

The dilemma is that she doesn’t want to pull his onesie up over his head because there is poop there, and she can’t stomach the thought of getting it on his head and face.

“You have to pull it down by the shoulders.”

“Jesus fucking christ!” Nicole yells, jumping in fear and losing her balance, toppling over in her crouched position against the side of the tub as she looks back to see Jamie, standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

“Hi to you, too.” Jamie deadpans.

“Okay, you don't get to be the weirdly unaffected party here!” Nicole yells, her attention drawn from Jamie to the crying baby in the tub as he wails louder.

“Get the onsie off of him by the shoulders; pull it down and off of him.” Jamie says easily.

Nicole hesitates for only a second before doing as instructed. It works.

“How did you know that?” Nicole asks in amazement, not looking back at Jamie, more preoccupied with getting the diaper off of Warner and cleaning him up.

“Eh, a 3am rabbit hole on YouTube.” is all Jamie replies, anyway.

“Oh god, oh god, oh god!” Nicole yells as she pulls back from Warner.

“What? What is it? Is he okay?!” Jamie asks, stepping into the bathroom, and Nicole can hear the concern in her voice.

“He’s not _done_!” Nicole practically sobs. “He’s still shitting, and he started peeing when the water touched him!”

She was not prepared for this. She _is_ not prepared for this. Nothing like this has happened since Waverly has started her regular shifts at Shorty’s. Usually, nights with Warner aren’t too bad. Usually, Waverly can stay longer and get most of the harder things in his night time routine dealt with. Getting him to sleep is always a bit of a task, but he’s never... Nicole’s never had to deal with something like _this_ before.

“Welcome to motherhood.”Jamie says behind her.

Nicole briefly considers strangling her sister.

“You’re not helping!” She bites out, trying to not gag as she cleans Warner off, practically hosing him down at this point.

“There’s not much I can do, Nicole! He’s your kid!” Jamie argues, but Nicole can still feel her hovering in the small bathroom.

She can’t think too hard about what’s happening, and what her hands are currently covered in, or she knows she’ll be in danger of actually getting sick. She just has to get through this. Though thankfully, Warner’s more unsavory bodily functions have seemed to stop, so she can focus on actually getting him _clean_ now.

“Sh, sh, sh, baby boy. Mama’s here. Mama’s gonna make it all better.” Nicole coos, trying to soothe Warner, who is still red in the face and crying, though not as hard as he was just a few seconds ago. “I know everything is kind of awful right now, but I’m here. I’ve got you. Mama’s got you, Bubba.”

Nicole cleans him up, scrubbing him down with baby shampoo for good measure, before she dries him off as quickly as possible and gets a fresh diaper on him. He’s still crying as she wraps him up in his towel, flipping the hood up over his head.

“Oh my god, does that towel have ears?!” Jamie asks, yelling to be heard over Warner.

Nicole doesn’t bother answering as she heads out into the living room, rubbing Warner’s back as she goes. It doesn’t take long for her to get the playlist going. They made a bedtime playlist for Warner a while ago when they realized it actually helped settle him down.

“I know I can’t sing as good as Mommy, but this’ll have to do.” Nicole says as the song starts up.

Warner’s still crying, and Nicole’s worried she’s going to have to change his diaper again in just a few seconds, but she keeps swaying back and forth, holding Warner close. It’s around the end of the song that Warner starts to really calm down, but Nicole keeps singing anyway.

_“We were changed in an instant._   
_We became so much more._   
_Our definition of perfect was written when you were born.”_

Warner’s cries have died down to soft hiccups now, but Nicole’s still afraid that he’ll start up again if she stops, so she keeps going.

_“There is so much to tell you._   
_There is so much to see._   
_We will show you the oceans, and everything in between._   
_What a privilege to love you,_   
_To teach you all that we know._   
_To watch you build a collection of dreams that you can call your own.”_

Finally, as the song draws to a close, Nicole feels confident enough that Warner is actually calm now. She can only hope that he’s not asleep- not yet.

“Okay, Warner. Mama’s gonna get you a bottle, that sound good?” Nicole asks, and thankfully, there is a gurgle in reply. “Good. Glad you agree.” She laughs at her own joke as she sets Warner down in his high chair.

Nicole heads into the kitchen to get Warner a bottle from the fridge and heat it up using the bottle warmer. She can hear Jamie talking to Warner in the dining room and smiles to herself. It doesn’t take too long for the bottle to warm up and she tests it just to be sure before she heads back into the living room.

“You’re good with him, you know. Ever think about having kids of your own some day?” Nicole asks as she walks over to Warner and hands him the bottle.

He takes it from her and starts to drink from it as Jamie looks up at Nicole from her seat in front of him.

“Ha! Yeah right, I’m not exactly mother material. Babysitter material, maybe but…” Jamie says with a sharp laugh before looking back at Warner, “I don’t think I’ll ever be ready to have kids.”

“You’re never ready, but you do it anyway.” Nicole says as she strokes a hand through Warner’s hair. “And then your whole life changes- you change in ways you thought would break you, until you find yourself in them, and you’re still standing.”

“Well, that’s a nice Hallmark sentiment, but that’s not how it always goes…” Jamie trails off.

The bitterness in her sister’s voice has Nicole looking away from Warner. Jamie needs her more in this moment.

“What’s going on with you? What haven’t you told me? You told Waverly and-” Nicole gets cut off there.

“Believe me, Nicole, if you’re not just playing dumb, then I’m really not sure you want to know.” Jamie scoffs.

Nicole can hear the edge in her voice, the venom.

“What do you mean by ‘playing dumb’? What do you think I know, Jamie?” Nicole asks, more adamant now.

She’s tired of being left out of the loop. She’s tired of feeling like the world is spinning on without her. Whatever is going on, she deserves to know.

“I can help, whatever it is. Whatever you’ve got yourself into, I’m here.” Nicole says, voice softer than she intended.

“Jesus, Nicole! Why does it have to be me? Why do you always assume that _I’m_ the fuck-up?!” Jamie growls as she stands up abruptly, walking away from Warner and into the living room.

“I- I didn’t mean to- Jamie, just tell me what’s going on!” Nicole pleads, desperate now, “I just want to know what’s going on!”

“Don’t we all.” Jamie says, voice eerily calm.

Nicole knows she isn’t going to get anything out of Jamie now- not when she’s like this. If she tries, she’ll just hit more of a wall than she already has. The only thing left to do is let this go. But the idea of still not knowing is a jagged pill to swallow. The answers she wants are just standing there, all encompassed in Jamie, and she won’t even budge…

It’s best for everyone if they just stop whatever fight this is right here and now. She still has to get Warner to bed.

“We can talk about this later, okay? I have to get Warner to sleep. Just- just be here when I get back, okay?” Nicole asks, looking Jamie over- she looks all her age now, and Nicole tries to not think of how young she really looks.

It takes everything in her to push back the thoughts of Waverly.

Getting Warner to sleep is almost painless for once, and Nicole is forever grateful. Her heart is hammering in her chest when she walks back into the living room.

“You’re still here.” Nicole breathes out a sigh of relief.

“Seems like it.” Jamie says with far less bitterness than before. ~~~~

Nicole walks over to the couch and sits down next to Jamie. She wants to start this conversation, but she’s also not sure how to go about it. So she just sits there and waits for Jamie to make the first move.

“I- this can’t change anything between us, okay? You have to promise me-” Jamie says, voice shaky.

“What? Nothing’s going to change anything, Jamie. You’re my sister, I love you. No matter what, I’m in your corner.” Nicole says, taking Jamie’s hand.

A few seconds pass before Jamie says anything, and Nicole can’t help but panic at the sight of tears. She has no idea what’s going on, but she’s determined to be here for Jamie.

“I- Fuck I’m not even sure where to begin, you know? This isn’t easy, Nicole…” Jamie trails off and pulls her hand away as she takes a deep breath in, “Promise me nothing will change.”

“Jamie-”

“ _Promise me_!” Jamie whispers, voice harsh and desperate.

“I promise.” Nicole says, trying to calm the hammering of her heart.

“Hayley isn’t…” Jamie starts, and Nicole is thoroughly confused.

“Hayley? What does Hayley have to do with this?” Nicole asks.

“She’s not…” Jamie trails off again and takes a big breath in, running her hands over her knees before she gets up from the couch, facing the wall, “Hayley’s not my sister, she’s my mother.”

“Nice one, Jamie.” Nicole says, annoyed, “You really had me going there for a second.”

“I’m not joking, Nicole!” Jamie says, turning back to look at Nicole now.

“Really? You’re going back to the ‘I’m adopted’ shit? That was just some bullshit me and Grayson fed you when you were annoying us. I mean, weird twist with Hayley, but-”

“I’m being serious!” Jamie says, taking a step towards the couch and Nicole.

“But that doesn’t make sense!” Nicole argues, heart starting its frantic pace again, “That doesn’t make any-”

“Mom _told_ me! Just after graduation, she sat at the dinner table and she fucking told me! _That’s_ why I left! That’s why I couldn’t-!”

“No! No, Jamie! I would remember that- I would-”

“Guess I wasn’t a blip on your radar back then…” Jamie says with a hollow, watery laugh, before continuing, “So there you go, now you know the _big secret_.” She spits out her last words while waving her hands around as if the news she’s dropped is something to be celebrated.

“I can’t-” Nicole says, getting up from the couch but stepping more towards the door than Jamie. “I need you to watch Warner, okay? Just watch him for me? I have to go- I can’t- I have to go.”

Nicole fumbles for her keys as she backs up towards the front door.

“What? You can’t just go!” Jamie says, walking over to Nicole whose hand is already on the door knob.

“No, no, I can’t be here right now, okay? I just... I have to process this. I can’t- Jamie, I can’t-” her voice breaks as she opens the door. She can’t even close it after she’s out of the house.

“Nicole! _Nicole_!” Jamie yells after her from the front porch.

The moment she sees her little sister backlit from the faint glow of her own living room, Nicole rushes back to the porch.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, but just stay here, okay? I love you, I love you so fucking much. I meant what I said, you’re my sister and I’m in your fucking corner, but I just...I can’t breathe, Jamie; please just let me catch my breath.” Nicole’s words fall out of her mouth in a jumbled rush, and she doesn’t wait for Jamie’s reply before she pulls her down and  kisses her forehead and then runs away.

Nicole’s running away from her sister, her own home. The only comfort is knowing she’s running straight towards her wife. The drive is silent and short, and she’s certain she didn’t obey the speed limit, but that doesn’t seem to matter now as she heads into Shorty’s.

Some broken part of her half-expected the bar to be the embodiment of the turmoil she’s feeling. As if somehow everything should be destroyed, because she feels destroyed. But that’s not the case. The place is full of people, and the moment Nicole’s eyes find Waverly in the crowd, she feels like she can breathe again, if only for a second.

Nicole takes a seat at an empty table, not knowing what else to do. She doesn’t want to just rush up to Waverly- she’s not even sure what she should say- but then again, Waverly already knows and Nicole has to bite back her anger. She’s not mad at Waverly; not really. She’s mad at her parents, at her sister, and everyone for lying to her for her entire life. She’s mad on Jamie’s behalf.

But she can’t focus on that now, or she’ll actually start crying, and she can’t let that happen- not here, not now. So instead, she just tries to find Waverly again, but she’s nowhere to be found. Not until she’s suddenly headed straight over to Nicole’s table.

“Nicole?!”

“Waverly, I-”

“Where’s Warner? What’s happened?” Waverly asks, sounding like a mixture of annoyance and panic.

Of course she would be panicked- Nicole’s not supposed to be here. She is supposed to be at home, watching her son sleep and feeling her heart ache at how fast he’s growing up. She’s not supposed to be sitting all alone at a table in Shorty’s.

“I- Everything’s fine. Jamie’s with him. I needed to see you, it’s-” Nicole only gets that far before Waverly is steamrolling over her.

“Did you come here to check up on me, Nicole? _You’re_ supposed to be at home watching Warner, not Jamie!”

Nicole can see the tension in Waverly. Her shoulders are back and tight, her fingertips drumming against her hip in agitation. This was a mistake on a few levels, but she’s here now, and she really doesn’t want to fight.

“No, I know. I just really needed to see you, Baby.” Nicole tries again, hoping she can smooth things over and they can talk.

“And it couldn’t wait until I got home? Oh my god, is this some weird jealousy thing? You don’t even trust me to do my job anymore?!” Waverly asks, voice strained and high pitched.

“What? No! That’s not what I’m saying! I-”

“Sure. Right, Nicole.” Waverly scoffs, throwing her hands up in the air in frustration, “You just really needed to see me, sure. Right after making a comment about wanting me to stay home.” She tries to collect herself, taking a deep breath in before continuing, “You and I both know we need the money.”

“Waverly, please…” Nicole trails off, not knowing what to say, or how they even got here.

“I can’t do this right now, Nicole; I’m at work. Just- just go home and take care of _your son._ We can talk about this later, or something.” Waverly says before turning back to look at a customer, who has been yelling for her attention for a while.

“Okay.” Nicole says, sounding as defeated as she feels. “I’m sorry, this was a mistake…”

Waverly doesn’t reply, she just throws a glance back at Nicole before she’s eaten up by the crowd again.

Nicole sits there for a few more seconds before she gets up and walks out of the bar, feeling more lost than ever.

She doesn’t even remember getting in the cruiser, but she’s sitting in her own driveway all the same, the engine turned off.

In all honesty, she doesn’t want to go inside the house. She doesn’t want to face Jamie, or the truth. Things are so messed up right now, and she’s not sure how to start sorting through it all. Beyond that, she can feel a bit of the anger bubbling up in her chest, only this time, it’s directed at Jamie.

Jamie didn’t tell her until the very last second. Waverly knew before she did! This wasn’t supposed to be this way- none of this was- and yet, here she is, and Jamie’s waiting for her inside and she has to go in.

Nicole feels like she can’t get enough air, all of the sudden, and she’s frantically unbuttoning the first few buttons on her uniform. That’s a little better, but still, she knows what she really needs to do.

Her hand hovers over the door handle before she pulls it up and opens the car door.

Things aren’t going to get better if she keeps avoiding them.

She makes her way inside the house, and Jamie looks over at her from her seat on the couch as she walks up.

“Glad you guys still have HBO. I started to catch up on Game of Thrones while you were busy not being here for me, like usual .” Jamie says, stressing her words with a deserved edge of bitterness.

“Well, I’m back now, okay? We can talk now.” Nicole says as she sits down next to Jamie, neither of them turning off the TV.

“You aren’t going to run off again, are you?” Jamie asks, and the consistent edge to her voice has Nicole avoiding eye contact at all costs.

“I’m right here, Jamie; I’m not going anywhere...it’s my house, after all.” Nicole says in an attempt to lighten the mood.

“Didn’t stop you before.” Jamie spits out.

Nicole finally decides to look at her sister, only to find that Jamie is crying.

“Hey, I’m right here. I’m in your corner; it’s what big sisters are for.” Nicole says, wrapping an arm around Jamie’s shoulders.

At the contact, Jamie folds into her and just breaks down. They stay like that for a while, with Nicole holding Jamie while she cries. There’s nothing else she can do, and she hates herself for it, but she’s determined to not let Jamie have to deal with this alone any longer.

“We’ll figure this out, Jamie.” Nicole says as she slides her hands over Jamie’s arms as they stand in the doorway.

Or rather, Jamie’s more slumped in the doorway, eyes red-rimmed from all of the crying. But she’s calm now, for the time being.

“Yeah…” Jamie croaks, voice shaky and hoarse.

“Do you want a ride home? I can call you a cab.” Nicole offers.

“No, I biked over here. I think I need the fresh air, or something? I just...think I need to be alone.” Jamie says, looking back towards the road.

“Be careful, okay?” Nicole says, “It’s dark out there.”

“I’ve got a light on my bike; besides, it’s just, like, a ten minute ride home.” Jamie replies, laughing softly as she continues, “I don’t see anyone blowing past the one stoplight we have in town.”

“Either way, stay safe. I’ll swing by tomorrow and we can talk some more, if you want?” Nicole suggests, lilting her statement up at the end, giving Jamie the option to turn her down.

“Yeah, sounds good.” Jamie says with a nod, “Okay, I’m headed out.”

Nicole watches Jamie get her bike from the porch and hop on, “Hey, Jamie, your helmet!”

She looks around the porch, thinking Jamie just left it sitting around, but there isn’t anything to be found.

“I didn’t bring one. It’s a ten minute ride; calm your tits!” Jamie yells as she rides off.

Nicole watches her go for a few seconds before she heads back inside the house. She leans against the door frame and closes her eyes and before she knows it, she’s crying. The stress of the day is finally hitting her full-force, and she’s not really sure she can handle it.

She couldn’t even really take care of Warner! She’s not good at actually acting like his mother- no wonder Waverly takes the reins at every opportunity! The first time she was really left alone with him, she literally ran away. She’s fucking all of this up, and she doesn’t know how to find her footing anymore. As if her body realizes this, she finds herself sliding down the door into a hunched sitting position as her shoulders shake.

It’s in the midst of her breakdown that Warner starts crying. Nicole tries to pull herself together as she pulls herself up off of the floor. She’s still crying when she gets into the nursery and over to her son.

“What’s wrong, little man?” Nicole asks, picking Warner up out of his crib.

He wails harder, and Nicole fears the worst as she sets him down on the changing table. Thankfully, he’s only wet, and changing him goes pretty easy now that Nicole knows how to avoid any sneak attacks.

“There ya go, Warner. All nice and clean. Let’s get you back to bed, yeah?” Nicole says as she picks him up and starts swaying from side to side, singing the song from earlier until he’s fast asleep in her arms.

She sets him back in his crib and watches as he sleeps. Sometimes she gets hit with just how much he’s grown in such a short amount of time. Everything seems to be moving so fast, and all she wants to do is hold her little boy close and keep him little forever. She doesn’t want this world to change Warner; he’s perfect as he is right now. But that’s not how anything works, and she knows he’s going to grow up sooner than she will ever be able to anticipate. She can only hope she helps him become the best person he can be.

* * *

 

It’s a while later, and Nicole is sitting in her recliner and watching This Is Us, bawling her eyes out at a scene between Jack and Rebecca and trying and failing to not draw parallels between her own marriage and the fictional one on screen.

She wakes up still in her recliner when she hears Waverly come into the house. She looks over to see her wife setting her things on the counter, and neither of them say anything.

Nicole didn’t even bother to change out of her uniform- in all the chaos of the night, she simply forgot. So she’s sitting there, looking at Waverly from her seat and just waiting for something to break. It feels like _something_ needs to break, finally.

“We need to talk.” Waverly says, voice stern, unwavering

“We do.” Nicole agrees, voice hoarse with sleep.

“What the hell was that back there, Nicole? How could you just leave Warner _here,_ of all places, and with Jamie? Why was she even here?!” Waverly yells, jumping in head first.

Nicole gets up out of her chair. If they’re going to do this, they’re going to do it properly. She won’t take this sitting down.

“He was asleep, Waverly and I was there because- because-”

“Because you don’t trust me, right?”  Waverly cuts her off, stepping closer.

“Honestly, you’re making it really hard to trust you lately!” Nicole argues, looking at Waverly as if some answers are etched on her face, but there’s nothing to be seen but anger.

“Oh, that’s rich, coming from _you,_ of all people!”

“What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?!”

“Don’t!” Waverly starts, stepping just the tiniest bit closer to Nicole now, anger bubbling up, “Don’t play dumb; not now,Nicole. It’s never suited you. I see the way Summer looks at you. _I see it!”_

“See what?! There’s literally nothing to see, Waverly! She’s just my partner; we _work_ together!”

“Bullshit! That’s fucking bullshit!” Waverly yells, her voice cracking as she starts to cry.

They both know they’re angry tears.

“What do you want me to say, Waves? Want me to tell you I fucked her? I didn’t, but that seems to be the only fucking thing that will satisfy you at this point. Why is that, hm? Why do you want this so fucking badly?!”

“I- I don’t!” Waverly argues, tripping over her words.

“Could have fooled me!” Nicole scoffs, “But this isn’t about Summer; not really, right?”

“She ruined my life, Nicole! She told the whole school that Wynonna was some sort of crazed murderer! She sat there and said that Wynonna planned it and that she probably killed Willa, too. She tried to get everyone to hate me. She tried to destroy me when I had nothing! She is an awful fucking person!”

“Why didn’t you tell me?!”

“I didn’t want to think about it… Those memories aren’t exactly sunshine and rainbows!”

“Waverly, I’m sorry you had to go through that, but…”

“‘But’ what?! Why the fuck is there a ‘but’ there?!”

“That’s not the point. Summer isn’t the point right now!”

“She _is_ the point! She wants you, Nicole and I can’t stand here and actually believe not even some small part of you wants her, too!”

“ _Why?_ Because I can tell you right now, I want nothing to do with Summer Bishop! So why this vendetta? Why does this matter so much to you?”

And then it all clicks in one horrifying moment of clarity.

“Waverly, what did you do?”

Nicole’s question hangs there between them for seconds that feel like an eternity.

“I…” Waverly starts, but loses traction.

Nicole waits- she can wait as long as she needs to get answers, even if she doesn’t really want them.

“It was stupid, okay? It was just one time and it didn’t mean anything. I- I wasn’t thinking straight and I-”

_“What did you do?”_ Nicole repeats, her voice firm.

“I kissed Jake.”

“When?” Nicole asks, calm.

“A few weeks ago...I was driving him home, and-”

“I don’t need the details.” Nicole says, turning around, her back to Waverly now.

“Nicole, I-”

“Save it, Waverly. I told you over and over again! I _knew_ something was going on, and you just brushed it off!” Nicole turns around to face her wife, now. Her own angry tears falling as she moves closer to Waverly, “You made me think I was making it all up, and come to find out, I was right!” The laugh that falls from her mouth is hollow and jagged.

“It was just one kiss!” Waverly argues, meeting Nicole, “It wasn’t about _him_ , it was about _you!_ If you had actually been around, been an actual part of this family, maybe I-”

“What, Waverly? Maybe you wouldn’t have fucking cheated on me? Real classy, blaming it on me. Really great feeling, knowing that I drove you to kiss someone else by working my fucking ass off to support this family!

“YOU’RE NOT THE ONLY ONE SUPPORTING THIS FAMILY!” Waverly screams, getting up in Nicole’s face.

Warner starts wailing from the nursery and Waverly looks over towards the door, but neither of them make a move for it.

They stand there for a few seconds, Nicole not knowing what to say, just knowing she wants to scream out her frustration.

“Stop minimizing my part in all of this! I have a job, I run a business, _and_ take care of Warner day in and day out. I’m not your stay-at-home wife, Nicole! If you wanted that, you married the wrong person!”

“I don’t know what you want from me, Waverly! I really don’t.” Nicole says, frustration clouding everything. “I have to get him…” She trails off as she finally turns towards the nursery and heads inside, leaving the door ajar as she enters.

Warner is still crying as Nicole walks back into the living room, holding him at her hip, rubbing soothing circles into his back, but nothing seems to be helping.

Waverly’s just standing there looking at them- looking _through_ them, almost. Nicole steps towards her, mouth open to say something, before Waverly flicks her eyes up to meet her gaze and then she’s stumbling back towards the door, blindly searching for the doorknob behind her before she’s out the door.

“Waverly?” Nicole asks, walking towards the door, “ _Waverly_!”

But it’s useless. Waverly’s already running out of their yard and down the street. She’s gone, and Nicole worries it’s in more ways than one.

After half an hour passes, Nicole tries to call her, only to find that Waverly’s phone is sitting on the counter where she left it. So now it’s just a waiting game.

It’s another half-hour before anything happens. Nicole is on her feet the moment she hears the doorknob turn, and then Waverly’s standing in the doorway as if she’s afraid to walk inside her own home, and Nicole wants nothing more than to run to her, to apologize, to fix this somehow.

“Waverly!” Nicole says her name like a sigh of relief in and of itself.

Waverly looks at her and Nicole’s not sure how to even begin to read her wife’s expression.

“I am so tired…” Waverly croaks out, her voice hoarse and shaky.

Nicole gives into her urge and rushes towards Waverly, enveloping her in a hug. Nicole holds her close as if she can will their bodies into one if she just pulls herself close enough, but that won’t work, no matter how much she wants it to.

“I was so scared you weren’t coming back.” Nicole admits, her words crashing into Waverly’s hair.

“Well I did…” Waverly says, voice hollow, “I just- can we just go to bed? Please?”

“Yeah, yeah, of course we can…” Nicole says, ushering Waverly inside, closing the door behind them.

“Is Warner okay?” Waverly asks, looking panicked as she looks up at Nicole.

“He’s fine, fast asleep.” Nicole assures her.

They get changed in relative silence. Things seemed to have settled now, but nothing feels right at the moment. After turning off the light, Nicole slides into bed beside Waverly all the same. She spoons her, arm draped around Waverly’s waist. It’s a small comfort, being able to feel every breath Waverly takes, to know that this is real.

“We can’t keep doing this.” Waverly whispers out in the darkness.

Nicole says nothing, knowing she’s right. The only thing she does is press her lips to Waverly’s shoulder- not quite a kiss, but the contact helps, all the same, in some strange way.

“We just need some space, some breathing room...I love you so much, Nicole. I love you so f-” Waverly’s emotions cut her off there, and Nicole can’t help but get choked up, herself.

Waverly turns to face her, their eyes adjusting to the dark, and Nicole thinks there has to be some twisted irony in that fact, somewhere.

“No matter what, I need you to know that I have never loved anyone the way that I love you.” Nicole chokes out, tears threatening to stop her words completely.

They’re kissing, and it’s desperate, frantic and sad. It’s not going to lead anywhere, but they still need to feel this, to know that they are here in this moment, with each other. Nicole needs to know that Waverly is here.

It’s when they pull apart and just stare at one another for a few seconds that Nicole finally ventures the topic.

“I can leave in the morning. I can go stay with Jamie for a while…” It kills Nicole to say it, but it needed to be said, “Weren’t you saying we could move into the house soon? You should... you and Warner should. You’ll be safe there.”

“Nicole…” Waverly says her name like a plea.

“I know.” Nicole says, kissing Waverly softly again.

* * *

She can’t sleep. It’s been a couple of hours already, and Waverly’s been out for a while, but Nicole can’t sleep. There was no real hope of that, honestly. She doesn’t want to miss a moment of these fleeting moments; not when it feels like the last nail in their coffin.

She looks at Waverly one last time before she gets up out of bed and gets changed. She’s not even paying attention to the clothes she’s throwing into her duffel bag until she gets to her uniforms.

Waverly doesn’t even stir when Nicole opens the bedroom door and gives one last glance at her wife, sleeping soundly in their bed, and then walks out.

She drops her duffel bag on the floor beside the front door and heads to the nursery. Warner is asleep, still looking like living perfection. She hates that this, her leaving, is going to tear that all away from him.

Nicole takes a shaky breath in and sweeps her hand through his hair. He makes some small noises, but stays asleep. Nicole knows she couldn’t do this if he were awake; it would kill her in ways she could never recover from.

“We’re going to fix this, Warner. I promise, me and Mommy are going to fix this...somehow…” Nicole says, voice soft.

She’s not sure she really believes herself at this point, but it’s good enough for now.

Walking back into the living room is harder than she anticipated, but she manages all the same. Orie is at her bag, sniffing all over it, and for some reason, that hits her the hardest, realizing she has to say goodbye to Orie- that this isn’t just a trip to visit Jamie. This isn’t just a regular morning.

Something has shifted for them, and she’s not sure how they’re going to find their footing again.

“Orie, no, come on, Buddy; get away from there.” Nicole says through the tears.

Orie looks up at her and then trots over, small whimpers following as he jumps up, his front legs leaning against Nicole’s leg, trying to get as close to her as he can.

Nicole leans down and pets him.

“You be good, okay? Don’t terrorize Whiskey too much.” Nicole says before she picks up her bag and heads out the door, locking it behind her.

She looks back at her home, thinks about her small family still sleeping soundly inside, and hates every step away from them she takes. This isn’t new, this ache in her chest, this looming sense of finality. She’s felt this before, the crushing failure, the desperate need to fix things. But Nicole know better than anyone that sometimes things just can’t be fixed.

Nicole’s been through this before, the end of a marriage. Sure, her marriage to Shae was short-lived, but it happened, and she thought she loved her in the moment. Nicole knows that what she feels for Waverly is different, stronger- more real.

Words aren’t going to fix this, though and it’s not like Nicole has anything left to say, so she does what she said she would, and keeps walking away.

She climbs into the cruiser and turns the engine over, the radio coming on.

  
_“I can drink and I can dance_   
_I can party, I can live_   
_But no matter how you spin it_   
_Everything has changed_   
_My life won't be the same_ _  
_ As long as she ain't in it”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, before anyone starts calling for my head on a spike, please know that this is not the end of Wayhaught's story. The only reason that question mark exists for the chapter count is because I am a long winded son of a bitch. I have a plan. Breathe. It'll be okay, I got you.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't read this chapter at work

Her heart is pounding in her chest. She can’t breathe properly- she’s not even sure she _is_ breathing anymore.

Nicole is standing there, Warner crying his head off in her arms. Waverly’s eyes flick to Nicole’s uniform, that fucking _uniform_.

All she can see is her father. Ward in all his awful glory. She needs to get out; she needs to breathe. She _needs_ to get away from the ghost of her father before history repeats itself.

She’s stumbling back towards the door, barely catching the doorknob. But soon enough, she’s out, running blindly- she’s not even sure when she started crying.

She can hear Ward’s voice calling her name, and that only makes her run faster.

Her lungs burn, and that stabbing pain feels good. Every harsh breath in reminds her that she’s alive. She’s not sure where she’s going, but she thinks she might have subconsciously started running towards Wynonna. She’s going in the direction of the homestead, and just the thought sends her blood running cold.

After a while longer, she stops on the side of the road and pats her pockets for her phone. Empty. Of course, she left her phone on the counter right where she put it when she got in.

Everything has fallen apart, and it’s all her fault. She might not be an Earp by blood, but there are some things passed down, regardless.

“Ma’am? Excuse me, ma’am?”

Waverly jolts back to the present. She’s not on the side of the road anymore. She's standing in line at the Piggly Wiggly with an annoyed cashier staring her down. She wonders just how long she’s been at the front of the line.

Too long, by the looks on the faces of the people behind her and the haste with which her groceries are swiped over the scanner.

It doesn’t take much longer before everything is bagged and paid for, and Waverly manages to get out into the parking lot without much incident, though her heart is still racing. She sees a young mother pull a toddler, throwing a full-out tantrum, towards the store before said toddler goes limp and his mother has to carry him as he cries the rest of the way there.

All Waverly can focus on is how tired his mother looks. She knows that feeling, and Warner isn’t even a year old yet. She’s just standing there to the left of the entrance to Piggly Wiggly and Warner is awake and sucking on his fist, looking up at her almost expectantly.

It all feels too much and the urge to run away- to bolt- hits her all over again. She can’t do that, though. Warner needs her, and it would look strange for her to run away from her infant son into the Piggly Wiggly parking lot.

But still she feels like she needs to get away, to escape all of this, and suddenly she can’t breathe properly. Somehow she makes it to the truck. Everything is put away, but she has no memory of doing it. The moment she gets Warner strapped into the car seat, she loses it. Her breath catches in her throat and then she’s crying. Hot tears rolling down her face, trickling down and spotting Warner’s blanket.

She clamors into the driver’s seat, but that seems to make everything worse. The confined space of the cab feels more like a coffin than an escape, and Waverly keeps breathing rapidly as she cries. She’s stuck in the parking lot of Piggly Wiggly, having a panic attack with her nine-month-old in the truck with her.

Waverly realizes in one crushing, crystallizing moment that she has become her mother; stuck in this literal hell hole of a town, married to a Purgatory deputy, feeling trapped by the insurmountable weight of an Earp curse that isn’t even really hers to bear…

Her hands shake as she tries to grab her phone, but it’s hard to see the screen through her tears. She clicks the little green phone button, and it rings once before she realizes she can’t be doing this and hangs up.

Nicole didn’t answer, so no real harm was done. But the realization that she can’t call her own wife for comfort anymore hits her like a ton of bricks. It’s all her fault.

Waverly takes another shaky breath in, calming down now. At least this didn’t last too long, but her unease stays where it formed in the pit of her stomach. She might be able to get them home, but she’s far from okay.

Warner has started fussing in the backseat, but Waverly hopes the drive home will help, even if it’s relatively short.

* * *

 “I know, Baby, I know, but we’re gonna go see Aunt Wynonna, okay? You like Aunt Wynonna!” Waverly says, feeling as if she needs to remind Warner that he likes his aunt right now, given how he seems to dislike everything today.

Much to his protests, she straps a still-fussing Warner into the car seat.

He’s been fussing on and off for the majority of the day, but Waverly’s pretty sure that the long drive to the homestead will settle him down; it’s never failed before, at least, and Waverly could use some quiet, too. She hopes this drive will give them both a well-deserved rest.

Waverly keeps checking her phone in the vain hope that Nicole will have called back, or texted, or ...something. She knows she’s being stupid; the phone only rang once for her, and probably didn’t even ring for Nicole. But she can’t just call Nicole up, either; she lost that privilege. She threw it away for one fleeting moment of validation.

Neither of them are in a good mood, and Waverly worries Warner is just feeding off of her own bad vibes. She straightens her back and clears her throat before looking back at him.

“It’s okay, Sweetheart, we’ll be there soon and then you can play with your uncles, cause I’m not sure Aunt Wynonna is up for playing- but be prepared for a ton of kisses, Mister.”

Warner doesn’t fall asleep for the car ride, but he does seem to at least cry himself out. Waverly’s pretty sure he nodded off at some point, but he seems wide awake when she goes to get him out of the truck, so small victories.

“Okay, here we go, Warner!” Waverly says, picking him up, “Oof you’re so heavy; what’s your Mama feeding you when I’m not around?”

Warner babbles in reply before he starts fussing to get out of Waverly’s arms. Which leads her to the front door holding a crying baby.

No one answers.

Waverly knocks again.

Still no answer.

She huffs and pulls out her cellphone, calling Wynonna.

“Hey, where are you?” Waverly asks while trying to calm Warner.

“Nice to hear from you too, Waves.” Wynonna says before there is rustling on her end. “Sorry for snapping- having someone poke around my vagina doesn’t exactly make me Ms. Perky. Yeah, I said ‘vagina,’ Doc. Collect your old timey sensibilities and get over it.”

“Uh, I brought Warner over to see you guys, but if you’re out, we can come back some other time.” Waverly tries to cut in.

“We’ll be on our way back, if you guys wanna hang out until we get there.” Wynonna suggests, sounding a bit less bitey.

“No, I don’t-” Waverly is cut off by Warner screeching. “I gotta go, Wynonna. Bye.”

Waverly hangs up the phone and pockets it, bouncing Warner in her arms and shushing him, to no avail.

“Waverly?”

Waverly turns around to see Jake standing in front of the porch steps.

“Jake? I uh, now’s not exactly a good time.” Waverly says over Warner’s cries.

“Is everything okay?” Jake asks, looking concerned.

“No, not really.” Waverly huffs, kissing Warner’s forehead, hoping the physical contact will calm him, only to pull back abruptly, “Shit, he’s burning up.” She mutters more to herself than anything else.

“I, um, just wanted to talk about the other night, I-”

“Uh, Warner has a fever, so I have to get back to town. I’m sorry, Jake; I really can’t do this right now.” Waverly says, stepping down the porch and heading to the truck.

“Oh, I can drive you if you want?” Jake offers.

“No, I can get back to town just fine on my own.” Waverly snaps, remembering the last time she was alone in a car with Jake and how badly that went, “Sorry, it’s just...he’s never been sick before…”

“Right, I’ll just leave you to it then. Nice to see you, Warner, hope you feel better soon!” Jake says, waving to Warner, who is paying him no mind at all.

Waverly gets Warner in the truck and drives into town, ignoring the speed limit because this feels like an emergency. Her baby is sick.

* * *

 “Warner Haught?”

Waverly’s head snaps up when Warner’s name is called, and she heads into the doctor’s office, the long hallway suddenly feeling daunting, regardless of the brightly colored cartoon characters decorating the walls.

The nurse asks a few routine questions, and Waverly answers them as fast as possible- as if that will speed this process up. The only reprieve she seems to get is that Warner seems to calm down when she strips him down to his diaper.

A soft knock on the exam room door proceeds the doctor entering, and now Waverly’s confused because that is definitely not Warner’s pediatrician.

“I’m sorry, I thought we were seeing Dr. Howard?” Waverly asks, concerned.

The young, female doctor smiles warmly at her, and Waverly can see why she went into pediatrics- even Waverly feels at ease with just a smile.

“Yes, I know that Dr. Howard is your usual doctor, Warner, but he’s not here right now. Don’t worry though, I’m gonna do my best to get you back to feeling well, sound good?” The doctor says, leaning down towards Warner, who has commenced screeching in reply.

“What happened?” Waverly asks, still lost.

“Dr. Howard has taken some time off. I was called in to be his replacement for the time being. I’m Dr. Pressman.” She holds her hand to Waverly, who shakes it briefly and then she grabs Warner’s hand and gives him a small handshake as well, “Let’s see what’s going on with you, big guy.”

After the examination, Waverly is getting Warner dressed again as Dr. Pressman explains the course of action.

“Alright, well, it seems like Warner here has the flu, which isn’t that uncommon this time of year, but it’s definitely something we want to keep an eye on. If he starts to develop any of the symptoms we discussed earlier, come in right away. Until then, just try to keep him as comfortable as possible. Maybe a few frozen fruits for that sore throat of his.”

Waverly nods along and thanks the doctor before she leaves and heads to the truck. Once Warner is strapped in, Waverly gets out her cellphone and calls Nicole.

“Hello?” Nicole answers on the second ring.

“Hey, it’s me. Um, I just wanted to let you know that Warner has the flu. We’re just leaving the doctor’s office now.”

“What? Is he okay?” Nicole asks, sounding slightly panicked.

“Yeah. I mean, he has a fever of 103, so he’s not exactly Mr. Sunshine right now, but the doctor thinks he should be fine with some rest and time.” Waverly replies, looking back at Warner, who looks miserable. “Oh, and we’ve got a new pediatrician- young, pretty. Dr. Pressman. I liked her, but I’ll be glad when Dr. Howard is back.”

“Jesus... okay, um, I can come by after work.” Nicole says, wind distorting the call.

“Yeah, that sounds good. I’m gonna head home with him. I’ll keep you updated.” Waverly says.

“Okay.” Nicole replies easily.

There’s an awkward silence that falls over them. The conversation feels over,!but they can’t exactly end it like normal- declarations of love aren’t exactly welcome at the moment, and realization hits Waverly straight in the chest.

“Bye.” Nicole finally says.

Waverly barely gets her goodbye out before the call ends.

* * *

 Waverly’s in the kitchen, stirring the chicken broth that’s heating up on the stove. After a few seconds, she wanders back into the living room and is greeted with the sight of Warner on the couch, boppy around him for safety.

He looks absolutely done. With everything.

Orie is curled up beside him, head on the boppy. Ever since the moment they came into the house after the doctor visit, he has been glued to Warner’s side, and Waverly’s heart feels like it might burst from the cuteness.

“Hey, sweet boy; how you feelin’?” Waverly asks as she walks up to Warner, stroking a hand through his hair and then settling her palm against his forehead. He’s still warm to the touch.

Warner whines in reply.

“I know, baby, I know.” Waverly coos, “Let’s get that theme song going, yeah? Mommy knows how much you like it.” She says as she grabs the remote control sitting underneath Orie’s butt.

Orie doesn’t budge, though he does wag his tail.

Waverly starts up a new episode of Gilmore Girls and lets the theme play. Warner looks a little more alert than before, and right now Waverly is counting any progress she can get.

Soon enough, the broth is heated up to an acceptable temperature and she doesn’t even bother trying to feed Warner with a spoon. She just goes directly for the bottle, hoping he won’t fuss as much.

“Okay, Warner; let’s get some of this yumminess in you.” Waverly says, picking him up and settling down where he had been seated.

Getting Warner to comply is actually easier than Waverly first anticipated, “Aw Bub, you really don’t feel well, do ya?”

She strokes a hand through his hair as she holds the bottle up to his mouth. He is in no state to feed himself, even if he normally would at least attempt it.

_“If you're out on the road_

_Feeling lonely, and so cold_

_All you have to do is call my name_

_And I'll be there on the next train_

_Where you lead, I will follow_

_Anywhere that you tell me to_

_If you need, you need me to be with you_

_I will follow where you lead”_

Waverly doesn’t hear Nicole walk in- there’s no usual fanfare, as Orie is too preoccupied with Warner to pay her any mind. It’s only when Nicole says something does Waverly realize she’s not alone.

“Really? The theme song? You’re going to convert him, aren’t you?” Nicole jokes from behind her.

Waverly jumps, “Geez, you scared me.”

“Sorry; if it helps, I come bearing gifts?” Nicole says, holding up a plastic drugstore bag, “These are for him, and this is for the adults.” She brandishes a bottle of whiskey in the other hand.

“How thoughtful.” Waverly says, thankful it didn’t come out cutting- she _does_ actually find the gesture thoughtful. “I didn’t think you’d be here this early.”

“Yeah, I took off early.” Nicole says, setting the bag and bottle on the coffee table.

“And you even changed!” Waverly says, noting that Nicole is in a button down and sweater combo instead of her police uniform. Honestly, she is grateful for the change. She’s not sure she could actually handle seeing the Purgatory police uniform today- not after everything that’s happened.

“Yeah.” Nicole agrees, blushing slightly.

“Well, what’s the haul?” Waverly asks, adjusting Warner to get a better look at the bag on the table.

“Ah, yeah, I got him this!” Nicole says, taking a soft security blanket out of the bag- it even has a little stuffed dog on it, and a small sports theme embroidered. “And some Vicks- Mom says it’s a must have- and I don’t know if he’s on any medication, but I thought maybe this could help.” Nicole picks up a small bottle of baby Tylenol and holds it up to show Waverly.

“Well, that’s all really nice, right Warner? And Mama got you a new friend...not that we don’t already have way too many…” Waverly says, shooting a look at Nicole, hoping she can read the playfulness in her words.

Nicole smiles, so at least that landed. She hands the security blanket to Warner, who takes it happily, done eating for now. Waverly sits him up and places his bottle down on the coffee table.

“Huh, really figured that more for a sight at Wynonna’s house.” Waverly says, looking over at the baby bottle next to the whiskey bottle on the table in front of them.

“Eh, sometimes life changes things.” Nicole says, her voice holding an edge that Waverly doesn’t like, feeling like her words were a dig at their relationship.

“Yeah…” Waverly agrees, “I guess so.”

“Well, let me see my little deputy.” Nicole says, holding out her hands for Warner.

Waverly complies, handing him over. Watching Nicole with their son makes Waverly’s heart ache; she wants to just fix things. A small part of her wishes she hadn’t admitted to the kiss, but she knows that would have just made everything worse in the long run. If she could take back the kiss entirely, she would in a heartbeat, but that’s not possible.

They are where they are, and she’s not sure how they move forward from here.

“You haven’t given him a bath yet, have you?” Nicole asks, looking over at Waverly.

“No; do you want to?” Waverly asks, brought back to the present.

“Yeah.” Nicole says, bouncing Warner lightly and rubbing his back.

Nicole takes Warner to the bathroom and starts the water.

Waverly is sitting on the couch, Gilmore Girls still playing on the TV. It’s simple, really; she ruined everything. Sure, things weren’t perfect before this, and it was all coming to a head, but she escalated things- made them worse than they would have been otherwise. She pushed Nicole away and out of their home.

She still can’t believe it- waking up without Nicole there is still so foreign, even if it’s been a week. Sometimes she just lies in bed before her alarm goes off, watching the time tick by. Getting up and taking care of Warner, going to the bar and setting things up there, waitressing at night, spending time with Wynonna when she can... those things help, they keep her grounded and settled, but when she has to crawl into bed alone, it gets rough again.

Nicole’s pillow is starting to not smell like her.

Waverly wants to just apologize profusely- and she has- but they both know that doesn’t just fix everything. Nicole needs space, and Waverly thinks she does too, in some ways. But she still feels lost; she wants them to just find their way back to each other already.

They can work this out; she knows they can.

“Alright, he’s all cleaned up and he actually fell asleep during his bath, so getting him out was _so_ not fun, but we’re good now, right Bubba?” Nicole says, walking into the living room with Warner in her arms, already changed into his jammies.

“Sleepy boy, let’s get you to bed.” Waverly says, getting up from the couch.

Nicole sets Warner down in his crib and rubs his tummy before kissing him goodnight. Waverly says goodnight to him as well, and then they both just stand there, looking down at Warner.

“He’s perfect.” Waverly muses.

“We did one thing right, at least.” Nicole whispers, and Waverly knows she deserved that- they both did, really.

Nicole stays for a few seconds more before she walks out of the nursery, and Waverly follows after her.

“Okay, well, I’m sure Jamie will hound me for the ‘hot goss’ or whatever when I get home, so I better-” Nicole says as she heads for the door.

Waverly catches her hand before she gets too far, “Wait, you don’t have to go.”

They both look down at their hands before looking back in each other’s eyes.

“I mean, you brought this all the way here... seems a shame to waste the opportunity.” Waverly says as she grabs for the whiskey bottle, releasing Nicole’s hand in the process as she holds it up between them.

“I mean, it’s not even mine; I swiped it from Wynonna’s stash in the Black Badge office.” Nicole admits, cheeks pink.

“Even more reason to indulge; she won’t be needing it for a while.” Waverly says, moving the slightest bit closer to Nicole, “Come on, you know you wanna.”

“You are gonna be the death of me.” Nicole sighs, shaking her head, but she’s smiling, so Waverly knows she’s won.

They’ve settled on the couch, the idea of getting glasses was thrown around and quickly abandoned as Waverly grabs for the bottle and takes a swig.

“This is how us Earps do it!” Waverly says at Nicole’s shocked expression.

“Weak.” Nicole scoffs as she takes the bottle, “You’ve gotta drink like a Haught- you _are_ one, after all.” She says as she takes a drink, longer than Waverly’s previous one.

“Oh yeah? What’s drinking like a Haught even mean? Naming our kids after alcoholic drinks?” Waverly asks, taking the bottle again.

“Mostly functioning alcoholism.” Nicole deadpans.

“Welcome to the club.” Waverly says before taking a drink.

“That’s cute that you think you Earps can actually function.” Nicole says as Waverly is still swallowing down her drink.

“Hey! Don’t insult my family!” Waverly says, choking a bit on her own spit.

“Why? What are you gonna do about it?” Nicole asks, cocking an eyebrow.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Waverly shoots back.

“Why, Mrs. Haught, are you propositioning me?” Nicole asks, taking the bottle from Waverly easily and taking another drink.

“What if I am?” Waverly asks, taking the bottle back and eyeing Nicole before she takes another drink, slower this time, making sure to wrap her lips around the bottle when she knows Nicole is hyperfocused on her every move.

The mood has shifted between them. They haven’t done anything, but there’s a charge sitting there, taunting them almost, and Waverly wants to reach out and touch it- feel what it’s teasing them with. She wants to know where this could lead, even if it’s only empty promises.

Waverly watches as Nicole grabs for the bottle again, but then she quickly reaches out, stopping Nicole, her heart pounding as she does. She knows she probably shouldn’t have, but she’s done it all the same.

“What if you...don’t?” Waverly asks, looking at Nicole as she leans in just a fraction closer.

Nicole doesn’t say anything- neither of them do. They’re just sitting there as silence stretches over them until suddenly, they’re crashing into one another, Waverly’s hands on either side of Nicole’s face as they kiss, their desperation evident.

A few broken kisses and muttered apologies later, they’re stumbling into the hallway. Waverly’s back connects with the wall as she grabs for Nicole’s shirt, lifting it up to expose some of her stomach.

“I missed you.”

Waverly swallows those words in their next kiss, but she heard them all the same.

When they get into the bedroom, Waverly smiles before she pushes Nicole back on the bed, and she can’t help but laugh when Nicole bounces with the mattress.

“You’re too far away.” Nicole says, holding her hand out towards Waverly.

“Guess I better fix that then, huh?” Waverly asks as she saunters over to Nicole and then straddles her.

Nicole’s hands immediately go to Waverly’s ass, and Waverly rolls her hips into her. It doesn’t take long before they’re kissing again, and Waverly can feel Nicole getting hard under her.

“You sure you wanna do this?” Nicole asks, panting as she pulls back the slightest bit.

“Yes, now shut up and kiss me.” Waverly says, rocking her hips into Nicole again.

Nicole complies, kissing her again with force. Waverly matches her for it, kissing back just as hard before she pulls back, taking Nicole’s bottom lip between her teeth before she finally releases her.

“I think we’re overdressed.” Nicole says as she slides her hands underneath Waverly’s shirt.

Waverly hums in reply before kissing her again.

Soon, Waverly is pushing Nicole back on the bed and lifting her own shirt up over her head. She jumps the moment Nicole’s hands are on her chest, not having entirely expected the contact- her shirt isn’t even over her head yet, after all.

In fact, her shirt is caught in her hair, and Waverly has to tug at it a bit before she just chucks it across the room where it hits the wall with more force than she meant it to, but it’s off now, so that’s all that really matters.

‘Wh-what the heck is…” Nicole trails off, grabbing for something under her head before she pulls a bra out and drops it over the side of the bed.

“You good?” Waverly asks, panting and not exactly waiting for an answer before she leans down and kisses Nicole again.

“Wait- wait.” Nicole slurs as she pushes Waverly back.

“What? What is it?” Waverly asks, worried that she’s done something wrong all of the sudden.

“I have to get my pants off, and I can’t do that with you on top of me.” Nicole says as she gently pushes Waverly off and beside her on the bed.

Waverly just topples over as she watches Nicole get up. She stays there, watching Nicole before she realizes she also needs to be undressing. Thankfully, she is able to kick her pants off quickly, her bra following immediately after.

Alternatively, while Nicole managed to get her shirt and sweater off, she isn’t having as much luck with her pants, hopping around on one foot to try to get her pant leg down, the other side of her pants dangling on the floor behind her like a sad tail.

“You need some help?” Waverly asks, laughing at her wife’s antics.

“No, I-” Nicole cuts herself off as she shakes her leg a bit more violently, but finally manages to get her pants off. “Got it.”

“Mm, good girl.” Waverly hums as she looks over at Nicole.

For once, she’s glad the lights are off. She can feel her cheeks getting warmer at the thought of actually going through with this, but she wants it- she’s wanted it for a while now.

“Turn around, let me see that ass of yours.” Nicole purrs, moving towards the bed now.

Waverly complies with a giggle, getting on all fours on the bed, arching her back so her ass sticks out just a bit more.

When Nicole is right up against her, hand on the small of her back before sliding down to cup her ass, Waverly can’t help but wiggle her hips.

“Feeling playful?” Nicole asks, voice low.

Waverly opens her mouth to answer, but before she can, Nicole spanks her, giving one hard smack to her ass.

Waverly yelps at the contact, but god, it feels so good.

She leans back, her ass now pressed against Nicole’s erection. Waverly can’t help but moan a little at the thought of Nicole’s hard cock still straining against her panties. She has always liked the sight, and knowing that she can still have that effect is almost as intoxicating as the alcohol currently running through her veins.

“You ready to play, Baby?” Nicole asks, her hand snaking between Waverly’s legs.

Waverly has a brief moment of mourning their former contact, but it doesn’t last long. Nicole’s fingers are on her clit, and she has _not_ forgotten how to use them.

“Mm, that feels so good-” Waverly cuts herself off with a gasp.

She wants to tell Nicole to keep going. She wants to tell Nicole how badly she needs her. Instead, she just moans and presses her face into the mattress. She just wants to feel this for right now.

Nicole keeps going, making small, fast circles over her clit, and Waverly just leans into the contact, needing more. She can feel herself climbing that edge- it’s been long enough for her to miss it.

Before she can even process anything, she’s coming, her orgasm taking them both by surprise.

“Holy shit, did you just come?” Nicole asks as Waverly tries to catch her breath.

“I- yeah, it’s been awhile…” Waverly pants, feeling embarrassed.

“Guess we better make up for lost time then, huh?” Nicole purrs as she slides her free hand up Waverly’s back and tangles it in her hair, gripping hard at the roots as she pulls her up and presses their bodies together. “Does that sound good to you, Baby?”

Waverly moans in response, her hands gripping hard at Nicole’s thighs.

“Use your words.” Nicole coos, and it’s somehow both infuriating and insanely hot at the same time.

“Fuck, yes, I need you, Baby. I need you inside me; fuck me!” Waverly moans.

“Good girl.” Nicole says before releasing her and pushing her back on the bed.

Waverly catches herself as she falls on the mattress and tries to press herself back against Nicole again, only to whimper as she moves away.

“I’ve gotta get a condom, Baby.” Nicole whispers, sounding more like herself than she did just a few seconds ago.

But Waverly loves it all. She loves when Nicole is demanding and rough, but also when she is her usual, caring self. Waverly’s heart aches for Nicole to just come home, but that’s not something she can ask of her just yet- but maybe they’re making their way back to that place where they can be whole again.

It’s not as if they aren’t in their own bed right now. It’s not as if either of them have so much as uttered the ‘D’ word. There is hope. There is _a lot_ of hope, judging by how quickly Nicole has swiped the condom from the nightstand.

“Hurry.” Waverly whimpers, knowing she sounds desperate, and not minding because that is how she feels.

“I am, I am.” Nicole breathes out from behind her.

The moment Waverly feels Nicole’s hands on her hips, she moans. The possibilities, the potential they have, is almost overwhelming.

“You ready?” Nicole asks, and for once, Waverly wishes her wife wasn’t so fucking considerate.

“Yes, fuck me already!” Waverly growls, pushing back towards Nicole.

Nicole doesn’t respond in words, she just steadies herself and Waverly can feel her shift and there’s a moment’s hesitation before she gasps as Nicole pushes inside of her. Another moment, and then Nicole pulls back before she thrusts forward.

Waverly drops her head on the mattress, just letting herself feel this as Nicole tries to find her pace. Before Waverly can do it herself, Nicole reaches around and starts rubbing her clit in fast, messy circles. It doesn’t last long, though and Waverly ends up taking over as Nicole breaks pace and slams into her hard a few times, grunting and panting. This is different from their usual style- rougher than normal- but Waverly can’t say she minds it at all because she doesn’t.

They have been treading this line for a while tonight, and it’s not as if they went into this blind.

“Fuck, just like that, Baby-” Waverly gets cut off by a gasp as Nicole hits just the right spot.

“Yeah, you like that? Huh?” Nicole asks, punctuating her question with more deep thrusts.

“Yeah…” Waverly pants, her voice uneven.

“Say it, Baby. Tell me how much you want it.” Nicole growls, her nails digging into Waverly’s hips as she keeps pounding into her.

“I want you, God, Nicole, I fucking want you! I need you. Keep fucking me, Baby. Just like that, oh god, don’t-” Waverly gets cut off as Nicole slips out of her on her last thrust, and she can’t help but laugh a bit.

“So much for not stopping…” Waverly says between giggles.

“You think that’s funny?” Nicole asks, voice sharp as she situates herself again. “You wanna laugh at me, Baby?”

Waverly opens her mouth to reply, but nothing comes out because Nicole thrusts into her again, hard and unforgiving. But as she does so, she also leans over Waverly and kisses her shoulder. Waverly moves as much as she can and kisses Nicole.

The kiss itself it broken with their movements, and it doesn’t fully connect, but they try, all the same.

“Keep fucking me!” Waverly says, breathing into Nicole’s mouth.

Nicole pulls back, no longer leaning over Waverly, thrusting roughly a few more times before she taps Waverly’s hip. Waverly look back at her, not really sure what she wants.

“Can we change positions?” Nicole asks, and Waverly nods in reply.

Actually moving isn’t exactly as easy. For one, she’s not even sure what position Nicole wants now, and beyond that, the room isn’t as solid as Waverly remembers it. Movement is the problem, but soon Nicole is kissing her again, then she’s rolling her over and pushing her back against the mattress, and Waverly can’t complain.

She watches Nicole get resituated. There’s something about lying there with Nicole above her that Waverly can’t deny enjoying. They forgot to close the door to the bedroom, and right now she is eternally grateful for that fact. Nicole is backlit from the hallway and Waverly gets to watch, gets to _see_ Nicole enter her.

She moans at the sight.

“Fuck, just like that, Baby!” Waverly moans, pulling Nicole closer.

“Mm, god I’ve missed this, missed you, Baby.” Nicole moans into Waverly’s mouth before kissing her hard.

Waverly snakes her hand down between them, finding her clit with ease. Nicole picks up her pace, a ragged, broken thing compared to earlier, but then again, Waverly knows she’s getting close.

“Don’t come, not yet…” Waverly pants, rubbing her clit faster.

It feels almost like a race to see who can come first, though Waverly is determined to win this one.

“I can get you there, Baby; I know I can.” Nicole says, slowing down before suddenly slamming into Waverly without warning.

“Fuck!” Waverly gasps as Nicole hits her g-spot.

“See? I can get you there.” Nicole slurs, smug.

“Keep doing that, you asshole.” Waverly growls, voice breathy.

Nicole laughs and Waverly wants to shut her up somehow, but that train of thought dies quickly as Nicole hits her g-spot again and just keep going over and over as if it’s some kind of button. Before Waverly can do much more than take a breath in, she’s coming, her hands wrapping around Nicole’s back in a frantic motion, nails digging into the skin as she trails them down.

“Oh my fucking god!”

“Waverly!” Nicole gasps her name and grunts, not quite stilling above her, but Waverly knows she came. “I love you. I love you so fucking much.”

Waverly can feel Nicole shaking, her breathing sounding ragged.

“I love you too, Nicole.” Waverly responds immediately, almost reflexively, but she knows she means it- of course she means it. How could she not?

Nicole pulls out of her carefully before she sits back on the bed and ties the condom off. Waverly watches her walk to the bathroom, unabashedly checking her wife out in the process.

“Shake it, Baby!” Waverly yells, adding a wolf whistle to accentuate her point.

Nicole shakes her hips in response, laughing while she does. “Like what you see?” She asks, looking back at Waverly.

“Of course I do; you have the _best_ ass.”

It thankfully doesn’t take long for Nicole to finish up in the bathroom, and Waverly runs in right after, the toilet still flushing as she runs in.

“Oh, come on!” Waverly groans, her bladder screaming at her in the meantime.

“What’s wrong?” Nicole asks from the bedroom.

“Nothing!” Waverly yells in reply before shutting the bathroom door and sitting down on the toilet, only to have her stomach flip when her butt briefly connects with cold porcelain. She yelps.

“Waverly?” Nicole asks, sounding like she’s right outside the door, now.

“You left the seat up!” Waverly grumbles pointedly, letting it fall down with a clatter before setting down and doing her business.

“Oh. Sorry.” Nicole says, sounding like a kicked puppy.

“It’s fine, Baby” Waverly says after she comes out of the bathroom, laughing as Nicole jumps when she pats her cheek.

“Your hands are clammy.” Nicole notes.

“Mm, warm them up for me.” Waverly hums, grabbing Nicole’s ass.

"Ah! No! Get your clammy hands away from me!” Nicole yelps as she runs back to the bed, Waverly hot on her heels.

They fall into bed, tangled together on top of the covers, Waverly grabbing for any part of Nicole she can get. Their laughter dies off as Waverly grabs Nicole’s face in her hands, the moment sobering them both briefly as they lie there, breathing ragged, before Waverly closes the distance between them in a soft and purposeful kiss.

They pull back from the kiss, but Waverly doesn’t open her eyes immediately. She just wants to stay in this moment for a few seconds longer.

“I didn’t want to believe you were gone…” Waverly breathes out, eyes opening now.

“What?” Nicole asks, brow furrowed.

“Every morning I just pretend like you got up early for work. It helps a little bit…” Waverly trails off, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Waverly…” The way Nicole says her name makes her heart ache.

“I know we can’t just- I know I messed up, Nicole. I _know_ I did, and I am so sorry for that.” Waverly’s searching Nicole’s face, hoping to find some answers there.

Nicole just looks so lost...conflicted, maybe, Waverly’s not really sure how to read her now. She’s not sure if what she’s seeing is just what she wants to see, or if it’s real.

“It’s not that easy…” Nicole says, voice soft and eyes downcast.

“I know, but it’s a start, right? It’s something, Baby.” Waverly says, voice firmer now as she lifts Nicole’s chin, forcing eye contact, “It’s _something_.”

Nicole doesn’t say anything, she just lies there, looking in Waverly’s eyes, and this doesn’t feel like a moment balanced on a razor’s edge, for once. This just feels like them. She’s trying to not get her hopes up, but she’s failing miserably. This silence is good- it feels like a _start_ of something good, at the very least.

“It’s late…” Nicole says, sounding tired.

Waverly nods, “Yeah, yeah.”

They get into bed, settling down under the covers. Nicole is on her side of the bed and Waverly’s heart feels like it’s in her throat now; the ease with which they fit into each other’s lives hasn’t faded. Nicole is _supposed_ to be here.

Waverly can’t help but smile looking over at Nicole, who is just lying there, existing in the same space, and it feels so good. Suddenly, the double buzz of Waverly’s phone on the night stand grabs her attention- she had actually forgotten she left it in the bedroom to charge.

Nicole snuggles up to her, kissing her shoulder as Waverly swipes the phone off the table and reads the texts.

(Received: Jake 10:20pm)  
Jake: Hey sorry for the late hour, was just wondering how Warner was doing? You seemed pretty worried earlier and I just wanted to check in.

(Received: Jake 10:20pm)  
Jake: Also I couldn’t sleep.

“Who’s that?” Nicole asks, looking over Waverly’s shoulder.

“Jake, he wanted to know how Warner’s doing.” Waverly explains before thinking it through.

“Seriously? Why’s he even texting you now? Kinda late for that.” Nicole tone has an edge that Waverly can read all too well.

“I ran into him earlier and I was upset about Warner.” Waverly tries to explain, hoping she can smooth things over before they get too out of hand.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Nicole growls sitting up in bed, glaring at Waverly.

“Wh- I-” Waverly tries to say something in her defense, but Nicole cuts her off before she can form a thought.

“You’re seriously going to try to be friends with him, Waverly? You cheated on me with him! You can’t just pretend that away!” Nicole says, her voice getting louder.

“I know I can’t!” Waverly spits out in her defense, though it feels weak, even to her.

“But you’re going to try, right? He’s supposed to be our contractor! He’s _supposed_ to be a guy doing a job, not some- some _pseudo-step dad_ ! He can’t just barge into our lives and just- you KISSED HIM, Waverly! You thought kissing him was more important than our _marriage_! Why am I supposed to just be okay with that?!”

“That’s not fair, Nicole! It was one stupid kiss, okay? I- I-” She gets cut off by the unconvinced sounds Nicole is making in response before she tries again, “I wanted to feel wanted, don’t you get that? I wanted to feel like more than a mom, I wanted to feel like a person again. I was tired of feeling so- so _trapped_!”

Nicole scoffs a sound of disbelief, “...And there it is.” She’s nodding along with her statement, “This was a mistake. I- I have to go…”

Nicole doesn’t waste any time picking up her clothes, pulling her sweater on and getting back into her pants. She’s carrying her button up and shoes with her as she storms out. Waverly watches as she leaves the bedroom, but then bolts out of bed as everything catches up with her.

“Nicole! Nicole, don’t go!” Waverly calls out, not caring that she’s naked right now.

It’s no use, though. Nicole’s out the front door, though thankfully she didn’t slam it on her way out. Waverly is left standing there in their living room naked. She feels pathetic, and she knows she looks it. It takes a few seconds for her to collect herself enough to head back into the bedroom and grab some pajamas, trying to ignore that she chose Nicole’s old clothes.

The worst thing is that all she wants to do is talk this out...with Nicole. But she can’t.

“Why didn’t I just fucking delete the stupid texts?!” Waverly seethes to herself, curled up on her side of the bed.

She never did reply, and she doesn’t plan on it, either. She lays there for a few seconds before finally getting up and padding into the nursery. She can hear Warner snoring softly in his crib, and her heart aches for a whole new reason. She’s fucked all of this up, and the one paying the price the most is Warner.

She walks over to his crib and almost trips before she realizes Orie is lying on the floor, curled up next to Warner’s crib.

“Or, what are you doing, you silly pup?” Waverly whispers.

Orie perks up at that sound of Waverly’s voice, but he stays exactly where he’s at.

“Well, if you’re going to play guard dog, then I guess you can sleep in the bed tonight, sound good?” Waverly asks, looking down at the small dog, who just wags his tail in reply.

Warner doesn’t even stir when Waverly picks him up and carries him to her bedroom. He does wake up briefly as she settles them both in the bed, but he doesn’t stay awake long.

Orie curls up against Waverly’s back on Nicole’s side of the bed and Waverly is lulled to sleep by the sound of her son snoring in her ear.


	13. Chapter 13

Nicole’s running out of the house,  _ her _ house. She can hear Waverly calling after her, but it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t want to be here anymore; not if she’s not actually wanted. The moment her feet hit the yard, she regrets not taking the time to put her shoes on, but she can’t exactly halt her forward momentum now.

She’s storming out. That does not include stopping to put her shoes on.

The moment she makes it into the cruiser, slamming the door shut, she realizes she can’t drive home. She could probably manage it- Jamie’s apartment isn’t exactly far away; nothing in Purgatory is far away- but she’s been drinking, and on the off chance something did happen...it shouldn’t be in the police cruiser. That would not look good. 

As she sits there, she contemplates getting out and walking home, taking the time to put her shoes on this time. But that’s not an option, either. A shiver runs up her spine as she remembers the werewolf on the loose. 

Paranoia has fully set in. She’s looking around the cruiser. The werewolf could be here now, stalking her, stalking the house.

“Oh, shit!” Nicole whispers, her voice sounding louder than a whisper has any right to sound. “Oh shit, oh shit, oh shiiit!”

She’s panicking now as she digs her cell phone out of her pocket and hits the little green call button.

“Pick up, pick up, pick up, Dolls! This is a life or death-”

“Hello?” Dolls’ sleep-soaked, gruff voice comes on the line.

“ _ Iknowwhothewerewolfis! _ ” Nicole rattles off, not stopping to take a breath before all the words are out.

“Nicole? What’s going on?” Dolls asks, his voice slower than it should be, given the information Nicole just dropped on him.

“Jake Reynolds! The werewolf is Jake Reynolds! I mean, it makes perfect sense, yeah? He’s new to town, Waverly didn’t even know Dr. Reynolds  _ had _ a grandson before this! I mean, this town is pretty small, right? She would have had to know that, right? Everyone knows everyone here. This doesn’t add up, Dolls; it doesn’t add up at all! Plus, he’s super hairy and like-okay, hear me out on this, he keeps sniffing around Waverly. I mean, not literally, but who hits on a married woman with a baby, huh? WEREWOLVES LOOKING FOR A MATE, THAT’S WHO!” Nicole yells into the phone, panting now. She’s pretty sure she took maybe two breaths during her whole explanation.

Dolls hasn’t said anything yet, so she assumes he’s just absorbing the information but she checks that the call is still connected just to make sure. 

It is.

“Dolls?” Nicole ventures.

“Agent Haught, how much have you had to drink tonight?” Dolls asks, voice cold.

“I-”

“It’s late, and I have better things to worry about outside of your drunk, jealous rambling. We can talk about this in the morning like civilized human beings when you’re sober. For now, get some sleep and _ do not _ call me again tonight unless someone is actively dying. Do you understand?” 

Nicole opens her mouth to answer, but nothing comes out. She tries again and fails again.

“Agent Haught, I asked if you understood me.” Dolls comes on the line again, and that prompts Nicole’s automatic response when rank is pulled.

“Yes, sir.”

A second later, she hears a click and knows the call has ended.

She pulls her phone down from her ear and then stares at it for a few seconds. She knows exactly what she has to do, but she still doesn’t want to do it. There is a part of her that contemplates going back inside the house. 

Nicole looks up at her house, the one she essentially kicked herself out of, and just stares for a few seconds. She could go back in. She could knock on the door and apologize and maybe they could finally just talk all of this out. But then the thought of Waverly talking to Jake hits her, and the jealousy and insecurity and full-out anger come bubbling back to the surface and she can’t do it; she can’t bring herself to do anything but hit the damn green call button on her phone again.

“Hey, I need you to come pick me up.” Nicole says, still staring at her house.

She could be wrong, and Jake could just be...a normal guy; a normal, everyday threat to her relationship that she never thought she would encounter. Purgatory might be a breeding ground for the supernatural, but that doesn’t mean life just stops happening. People still face every other mundane issue that comes up; the supernatural bullshit just tends to pile on top.

And Waverly has made her stance known. She’s still talking to Jake, still in close personal contact with him. He felt comfortable texting her late at night about  _ Warner, _ of all things. Waverly has made her choice, and now Nicole is making her own.

She needs to breathe. She needs to step back from this and get her head straight. 

In no way has she given up on her family, but she can’t stand the sinking feeling in her stomach that maybe, just maybe, Waverly has.

“Where am I picking your sorry ass up from?” Jamie asks as Nicole hears shuffling on her end of the line.

“My house.” Nicole says easily, not thinking.

There’s a pause. A long pause. Nicole even checks to make sure the call is still connected- it is. 

“Jamie?” Nicole ventures.

“Yeah. I’ll be there in a minute.” Jamie says before ending the call.

“Great.” Nicole groans, knowing she’s not in for a  _ fun _ interaction when Jamie gets there.

She throws her phone in the passenger seat and only then does she notice she swiped the whiskey bottle on her way out. 

It’s sitting there in the passenger seat of the cruiser, mocking her silently. If she had just left when she meant to, none of this would have happened. But there is still a part of her that wouldn't give back a second of the mind-blowing sex she just had with her wife.

Nicole can only take so much mocking.

“Fuck it.” She sighs before leaning over and opening the bottle, taking a swig.

She figures there’s no harm- Jamie’s already on her way over. Nicole hears the faint buzzing of her phone from where it slid between the passenger seat and door, but she doesn’t move to get it- not yet.

He heart is pounding fast in her chest, worried it might be Waverly texting her something awful- she knows from experience that Waverly goes for the jugular when she feels threatened or cornered. Besides, this wouldn’t be the first time Waverly sent a nasty text or two after a fight.

So Nicole just stares, takes another sip of her stolen whiskey, and debates the merits of changing her cell phone number in the morning.

A rapping on the car window sends her nearly out of her skin.

“Hey, it’s me.”

Jamie. It’s only Jamie. 

Nicole opens the car door a crack; enough to yell at Jamie, but not enough to give the expectation that she’s getting out anytime soon. Though really, she’s pretty sure she has sobered up by now. She honestly just doesn’t want to face her sister.

“Warn a girl next time!” Nicole seethes.

“Oh great, you’re drunk aaaaand…” Jamie drolls, peering over Nicole, “Half-dressed...God, I can’t leave you alone for five minutes without you acting like me.”

“I didn’t call you for a lecture.” Nicole sneers, half-tempted to stick her tongue out at Jamie- it would serve her right.

“Yeah, you just called me to bail your ass out of this mess. Come on,” Jamie taps the hood of the cruiser twice before pushing off of it, giving Nicole enough clearance to open the door.

“Fiiine.” Nicole sighs before remembering her cell phone and diving over the passenger seat, careful to hand Jamie the bottle before she does so. “Forgot my phone!” Nicole clarifies, brandishing it in front of her.

Jamie just smiles and nods, and Nicole beams back at her- maybe this won’t be so bad, after all.

“I did, you know.” Jamie says, and Nicole can’t follow.

“Did what?” Nicole asks, getting out of the cruiser and grabbing the bottle back.

“Warned you. Check your phone.” Jamie clarifies.

Nicole doesn’t bother, she just stumbles over to Jamie’s SUV and climbs inside, practically pouring herself into the seat. It feels good to sit down again. She doesn’t remember Jamie’s car ever being so comfortable, but she’s not gonna knock it now.

Jamie doesn’t waste time getting in front of the wheel and speeding out of the driveway. Nicole’s grip on the door handle subconsciously tightens as rap music blares in her ears, and before she can really process anything, they’re back home- well, they’re back at Jamie’s place; they left Nicole’s home in the dust.

“Come on.” Jamie says as she gets out of the car and heads inside.

Nicole just watches her go for a few seconds before she gets out, too. She walks through the threshold, taking another drink of her stolen whiskey. She knows it shouldn’t, but somehow knowing it’s stolen has made it taste better.

Nicole spots the couch and makes a beeline for it, unceremoniously flopping down on it face-first.

“So, what were you doing over there?” Jamie asks, a tone to her voice giving away that she knows  _ exactly _ what Nicole was doing, but she wants to hear the answer.

“I went to go see Warner.” Nicole replies, face still buried in the couch cushions.

“What?” Jamie asks.

Nicole turns her head so that she’s facing outwards, towards the room and Jamie, and repeats herself.

“Yeah, but where did the getting undressed come in?” Jamie asks, practically gloating already.

Nicole turns her face back into the cushions for that answer, and she knows it couldn’t have sounded like anything more than unintelligible sounds to Jamie, but that part doesn’t seem to matter.

“Uh-huh.” is all Jamie says, and Nicole braces for the lecture, but nothing happens.

Nothing continues to happen.

Nicole finally ventures to look out towards the room again, only to find herself alone.

“Jamie? Jaaaamie!” Nicole whines, not wanting to be alone at a time like this.

“What?!” Jamie yells from the kitchen.

“Come back!” Nicole yells back in reply, “I miss you, I need you!” She says as she buries into the couch a bit more, the contact being a poor substitute for the physical contact she craves.

“Hold on!” Jamie calls from the other room.

Nicole grumbles in reply and tries to phase her body into the couch, as if it will help everything having fallen apart. It won’t, though; she knows that, of course, but she can’t do anything about it now, so instead, she burrows.

“Here, eat this.” Jamie says as she holds out a plate to Nicole.

She rolls her eyes up to see a sandwich on the plate in front of her, and even she notices the physical lag between her thoughts and her actions as it takes her more time than it should for her to actually physically react to the food offered to her. 

Jamie stands there patiently as Nicole sits up and greedily devours the grilled cheese offered to her. 

“So, you slept with your ex-wife?” Jamie casually drops that bomb, and Nicole almost chokes on her bite of sandwich. She doesn’t remember grilled cheese sandwiches tasting this good before now.

“Estranged!” Nicole yells, desperately needing the clarification.

“Yeah, Jamie,  _ estranged _ .” Comes a voice in her defense.

Nicole points at Colby Drake in solidarity before she actually recognizes her.

“Wait, what the fuck are you-” Nicole pauses to swallow her bite of sandwich, which goes down hard, “ugh- doing here?!”

“I think it’s pretty obvious what I’m doing here.” Colby says as she holds her hands out to her sides, showing off that she is wearing one of Jamie’s shirts and a pair of Jamie’s boxers; the poor girl is practically swimming in them.

“And just in case it isn’t obvious: me! She's doing me.” Jamie pipes up, smug grin on her face.

“Ugh! Gross!” Nicole groans loudly, pulling a face.

Colby looks at Nicole’s plate and then Jamie, “There better be one of those for me.” 

“It’s on the counter.” Jamie replies, “I treat my women right!” She says as she smacks Colby’s ass as she passes.

“Why is she here?!” Nicole seethes, whispering as she waits for Colby to leave the room.

“Uh, duh, I just told you!” Jamie says as she plops down on the couch next to Nicole and steals the other half of her sandwich off her plate.

“Hey!” Nicole argues as she watches her meal be devoured, “No, but seriously, she shouldn’t be here; she’s sketchy as fuck!”

“You know I can hear everything you’re saying, right?” Colby says upon her re-entry, sandwich in hand. “You’re not exactly being quiet.”

“Yeah, well, you’re the one who  _ lied _ !” Nicole argues, as if lying is a capital offense, though throwing her baby sister in the middle of everything does make it feel that way.

“What?” Colby and Jamie ask at the same time.

“There’s no such thing as the  _ Purgatory Times _ ! How do we even know you’re you! I mean, come on, was it just a  _ coincidence _ that you were the  _ stand-in _ photographer at my wedding, you slept with my sister, AND you end up here right when everything’s gone to shit?” Nicole argues, feeling like she has crafted a spectacular argument. “Is your name even  _ Colby _ ?!”

“Pretty much, yeah?” Colby says, shrugging before taking a bite of her grilled cheese. “I mean, you got me there with the newspaper thing, but I was just trying to find a big scoop before anyone else. I’m trying-” Colby pauses to swallow, “Sorry, I’m trying to get a spot in Denver, but I need to broaden my portfolio, and what’s better than a whole town going in on a big cryptid scam?” 

“What?” Nicole’s asking, not having really followed any of that.

“Come on, a bunch of people had to be in on that prank. We both know it’s helped drive up tourists. This place has that whole Wyatt Earp shtick going on, and now the demon thing...You guys really went for that Cloverfield vibe with the shaky camera and shit, though. Nice touch.” Colby says before finishing off her sandwich and heading to the bedroom, “You know where to find me when you’re done here, Hotstuff.” She says, throwing a wink at Jamie.

“That better have been spelled H-a-u-g-h-t!” Jamie yells to Colby in the other room.

“You know it!” Colby replies, voice muffled.

“Sorry to break up your little fucked up domestic bliss or whatever this whole…” Nicole gestures vaguely to her surroundings and Jamie, “ _ Thing _ is, but can we get back to my entire  _ life _ imploding?!”

“I know why  _ I’m _ not currently basking in post-coital bliss, but why aren’t you?” Jamie asks, looking over at Nicole with a nonchalant expression.

“One, you’re disgusting-” Nicole gets cut off there.

“Is that any way to treat your _ beloved  _ sister who’s letting you stay at her place  _ rent free _ ?”

“Ugh!” Nicole groans in frustration as she tries to shove Jamie away and fails. “You don’t  _ get _ it!”

“Then explain it to me the way only a drunk person can!” Jamie shoots back, barely able to contain her amusement.

“Just because I’m drunk doesn’t mean this isn’t important!” Nicole slurs, vehement in her argument.

“I know, I know; go on.” Jamie says as she motions for Nicole to continue.

Nicole sizes her sister up, still not sure she believes her, but figures she should get everything out in the open, all the same.

“She was texting him!” Nicole says, getting cut off by a loud gasp from Jamie.

“You mean,  _ during the act?!” _

“What? No!” Nicole clarifies, almost getting confused, herself.

“Oh my god, she was texting him afterward? What did she say? When did she send it?” Jamie starts rattling off questions rapid fire, her next more methodical as she leans in and squints in suspicion, “Was there an overuse of emojis? I swear, if she used the eggplant emoji imma cut a bitch!”

“She didn’t- she didn’t exactly reply?” Nicole lilts her statement up at the end, feeling guilty now.

“Okay, but he sent her something racy, right?” Jamie asks before gasping loudly, “Did you see a dick pic?!” She exclaims, hopping in her seat on the couch a bit, becoming the definition of overzealous. 

“What? No, no! Nothing like that!” Nicole says as she attempts to correct the confusion.

“So you’re telling me you called me in the middle of the night because Waverly  _ got  _ a text and didn’t reply to it?” Jamie says, a definite edge to her voice now.

“Well, when you put it like that…” Nicole trails off, not knowing what to say in her defense.

“I’m getting up now and going back into my room, Nicole.” Jamie says as she gets up from the couch and looks back at Nicole as she reaches the threshold of her doorway, “You’re gonna want earplugs or something. We’re gonna be loud.” She winks before she heads into the room and Nicole feels sick. “Hey, Baby, ever try bondage?!”

Nicole runs to the bathroom and pukes, and that’s the last thing she remembers.

* * *

 

She wakes with a start, arms splayed out at her sides, fingertips pressed into the tile floor. Jamie’s standing above her looking entirely too amused by this turn of events. 

“Did you enjoy your beauty rest?” Jamie asks.

Nicole just grunts wordlessly in reply.

“It’s 3 am and I’ve gotta pee; get up.” Jamie says as she lightly kicks Nicole in the side.

“Fuck you.” Nicole grumbles as she gets on her feet, the world still spinning slightly.

Before Nicole gets out of the bathroom completely, Jamie calls over her shoulder, “Hey Sis, love the tile marks on your face- very drunk chic.”

Nicole slams the bathroom door on her way out.

She’s losing time- she can feel it- but she’s not entirely sure she actually is. It feels like it, but things still seem to be happening just...slower.

Somehow she manages to get dressed and after that and a bit of toast and some intermittent naps, it’s actually a normal human hour. She didn’t get any texts or calls from Waverly, but that’s to be expected after what happened last night. Nicole’s not sure if she’s relieved or disappointed in their lack of contact.

She knows what she has to do now.

The drive home is short. Nicole walks up the steps to her own porch and still feels like she isn’t welcome here. Nothing’s changed; it still looks the same- it’s not as if their house was going to be altered by their falling apart, but it feels like something should have, as if there should be some sort of physical marks of some kind. But there’s nothing, and that’s what hits her the hardest.

She takes a deep breath in and knocks on the door. No reply at first, and Nicole turns back to the driveway to make sure Waverly’s Jeep is still there. Just as she confirms that Waverly is home, she hears footsteps at the door.

“Nicole? Didn’t expect to see  _ you _ here. Can you give me a second? Warner’s not exactly feelin’ up to company today, it seems.”

Nicole looks at Warner, who is by all accounts a very unhappy boy, face red and blotchy as fat tears roll down his face.

She tries to pretend like his reaction isn’t because of her, but it really feels like it is.

“Well,  _ Jake _ , maybe if you hand him over-” Nicole starts, but is interrupted by Warner screeching.

This is not going well.

“Dada!” Warner yells as he grabs Jake’s shirt.

“Babe, who is it?” Waverly says, walking up to the front door, swollen pregnant belly on full display.

“Well, isn’t this just peachy…” Nicole mutters to herself, avoiding eye contact with her ex-wife.

“Nicole? What are you doing here?” Waverly asks, sounding too bitter for Nicole’s heart to handle.

“Look, I know the court sided with you, but you can’t just shut me out of Warner’s life completely!” Nicole argues.

Waverly takes Warner from Jake, soothing him easily.

“That’s exactly what I can and will do. You chose this, Nicole. This is your fault.” Waverly says as she adjusts Warner in her arms.

“But I wanted to fix things! I tried, Waverly! I fucking  _ tried. _ ” Nicole continues her argument, though she knows she lost a long time ago.

“Well, it wasn’t enough, Nicole. It was never going to be enough. I can’t believe you actually thought that you were what I wanted. I mean, what kind of life were we going to have? You weren’t who I wanted- you had to have known that.” Waverly finishes, and Nicole fights the urge to cry; she won’t give Waverly the satisfaction.

“Give it up, Nicole.” Jake pipes up, glaring at her.

“You can’t just steal my family!” Nicole yells, stepping up to Jake.

“This isn’t your family anymore!” Jake growls, the rumble in his chest inhuman, his eyes flashing yellow, betraying his true nature.

“Waverly!” Nicole tries, looking over at the woman that was once her whole world.

The door slams in her face and Nicole wakes up on the bathroom floor, heart hammering in her chest as she tries to remember where she is. She fishes her phone out of her pocket and checks the time. Only a couple of hours have passed since she got to Jamie’s- she’s at Jamie’s; it was just a dream.

Still, she tries calling Waverly’s cell phone, only for it to ring all the way through to voicemail. She doesn’t leave a message because there really isn’t a point. But it’s comforting enough to hear the words “Waverly Haught” spoken back to her.

* * *

 

They’re on a stakeout.

That’s what Nicole is telling herself, anyway.

“Okay, Deputy, do you remember what we’re supposed to do?” Nicole asks, looking over at Warner, who is more interested in his toy car than he is in his own Mama, but that’s to be expected. “We’re gonna make sure Mommy’s safe. Now, she doesn’t know we’re here, so we gotta be sneaky, okay? Also, when you get older, you’re not allowed to stalk people, okay? This is a  _ stakeout, _ and it’s for a good cause.”

Warner gurgles and looks up at her and Nicole thinks that’s a good reply- or at least, the best she’s going to get at the moment.

“I don’t need you becoming the town’s creeper.” Nicole says as she turns her attention back to the restaurant that Waverly and Jake just went into.

This isn’t creepy. It’s for Waverly’s safety. Even if Dolls still doesn’t want to put stock into her theory. 

Warner’s toy police car makes a silly noise, breaking Nicole out of her thoughts briefly. Maybe a stakeout with a baby wasn’t the best idea, but she’s been at this for a month now and she really needs some sort of evidence to give her some validation and convince Dolls.

When Nicole grabs her thermos and takes a drink, she can see Warner watching her out of the corner of her eye, grabbing his own bottle and copying her.

“Okay, Operation Prove Jake Is A Werewolf is a go.” Nicole says to herself as she watches the window of the steakhouse.

She can see Jake, but suddenly Waverly’s nowhere to be seen. Nicole assumes she just excused herself to the bathroom. 

The moment a few sharp knocks on the cruiser window sound, Nicole jumps out of her skin. Waverly’s right there, glaring at her, looking super pissed.

Nicole debates the merits of starting up the cruiser and hightailing it out of there without a word, but that’s not an option. For one, she would have to put Warner back in his car seat in the back, and she can’t do that without getting out. Secondly, Waverly would probably hunt her down.

So, she rolls the window down.

“Hiiii!” Nicole says with a sheepishly cheery tone, hoping to appease the beast.

It doesn't work.

“What the hell are you doing here?! Oh my god, you brought  _ Warner _ with you?!” Waverly yells, voice growing higher in pitch with her outrage.

“Waverly, I can explain-” Nicole starts, but is interrupted by a high-pitched happy squeal from her son, who obviously spotted Mommy.

“Oh really? You can explain why you’re stalking me?” Waverly asks, not convinced.

“We were just coming here for dinner!” Nicole tries lying.

“With binoculars?” Waverly asks, eyebrow cocked.

“Okay, look, to be honest, I think Jake is... um, well... he’s dangerous, Waverly!” Nicole scrambles to explain herself.

“Not this again, Nicole; I don’t want to hear it! Jake and I are just friends. I’m allowed to have friends!” Waverly argues.

“Friends who take you to steakhouses?!” Nicole bites back.

“It’s just a restaurant!” Waverly yells, getting angrier now.

“The same one we had sex in! Come on, Waverly; I know you!” The words are out of Nicole’s mouth before she can stop herself. She didn’t mean to imply anything, but that’s clearly how Waverly has taken it, judging by her clenched fists.

“The one we had sex in for about  _ five seconds _ , you mean?!” Waverly seethes, going for the jugular, and it works.

“Jake’s a werewolf!” Nicole blurts out in anger.

“Oh my god, Nicole! Go home!” Waverly yells before storming back into the restaurant.

Nicole watches as Waverly goes back inside and points to the cruiser as she talks to Jake. They leave soon after with Nicole still sitting there, fuming.

“Warner, your Mommy is the most pig-headed woman I have ever met. Please don’t take after her.” Nicole says, looking at Warner, who seems completely unfazed by everything that’s just happened.

The drive to Jamie’s is faster than it should have been, but they’re there and that’s what counts. Thankfully, Jamie didn’t argue when Nicole asked if she could watch the baby for a while- it was probably Colby’s squeals of delight at the sight of Warner that sealed the deal. 

“I want five of him!” Nicole hears Colby say right before she leaves the house.

She doesn’t waste any time heading to the homestead, her anger boiling as she is given the half hour to just stew in her emotions. She finds herself grumbling about Waverly, which then becomes yelling into the empty car, as if she’s actually talking to her wife. Pulling into the driveway doesn’t do anything to lessen her anger.

She knocks on the front door and is immediately met with Wynonna’s unhappy face.

“What do you want?” Wynonna spits out, and Nicole’s worried Waverly has already filled her in on what happened earlier.

“Listen, Wynonna, I really need to talk to Dolls-” Nicole starts in, just trying to get this over as quickly as possible.

“Oh, sure thing! Don’t mind the woman about to push two babies out of her vag!” Wynonna growls, hold on the doorknob getting tighter.

“Wait, really?” Nicole asks, dumbfounded.

“Oh,  _ of course _ not! You  _ know _ the funniest joke alive is a pregnant woman saying she’s going into fucking-” Wynonna cuts herself off with a pained scream.

It’s only seconds before Dolls and Doc are at her side. Doc leads Wynonna back into the house as she curses her way there, yelling to Dolls about dealing with his shit and getting rid of Nicole because she does not want to give her a front row view to the destruction of her vagina.

“Nicole, what do you want? We’re kinda busy here…” Dolls says, distracted as he looks back into the house at Wynonna.

“I  _ really _ think you need to take another look into Jake being the werewolf! He’s the best lead we have, and I really think-”

“Let me stop you there, Agent Haught because I really think you need to reevaluate your timing. We can talk about this when I’m not right about to become a father.” Dolls says, dismissing her.

“No we can’t, Dolls! He has Waverly!” Nicole yells, insistent.

“What? Where?” That caught Dolls’ attention.

“Um, last I saw them, they were at Saul’s…” Nicole sheepishly admits.

“So, she was on a date?” Dolls asks, clearly fed up with this conversation. “Look, Nicole, we can talk about this later, okay? Besides, unless you have concrete proof-”

Dolls is cut off by another scream from Wynonna.

The conversation ends there as Nicole heads back to the cruiser, feeling defeated, but knowing the only option she has now. She’s not looking forward to it, but hopes that the conversation won’t go as badly as she fears. She starts the car up and heads back to town.

* * *

 

Nicole’s heart is pounding in her chest as she walks up the porch. She knows she shouldn’t be here- not after everything- but there’s nowhere else to turn for answers. So she’s here, standing on the front porch, shifting her weight from one foot to the other as she works up the courage to knock on the door. 

It doesn’t take long before she bites the bullet. Being backed into a corner only gives her one way to move; forward. 

She hears footsteps towards the front door and braces herself as it opens. 

“Hey, long time no see.” Nicole says with hopefully her most disarming grin.

“Divorce does that.” Shae says, voice flat, before she breaks out into a grin herself. “Let me guess, you actually went through with that tracker you always joked about. Please tell me it’s not in my asscheek.” She jokes as she motions for Nicole to come inside.

“Very funny. I heard you were in town and I figured I’d drop by. As I remember it, amicable  _ was _ the term we used.” Nicole says as she steps inside the house.

“Never could slip anything past you, Haught.” Shae says as she leads them to the living room, “Do you want anything? I’ve got water and…water. Sorry, still haven’t really gotten a chance to shop.”

“I’m good, thanks.” Nicole says as she takes a seat on the couch.

“Alright, so what’s the  _ real _ reason you’re here?” Shae asks with a take-no-bullshit tone.

“What do you mean? I already told you!” Nicole argues in her defense.

The look Shae shoots her almost has her folding, but not quite.

“I was married to you; I know when you’re bullshitting me, Nicole.” Shae states flatly as she takes a seat on the chair across from the couch.

“Why didn’t that work out, again?” Nicole asks with a chuckle.

“As I remember, I wanted kids, and you couldn’t pull yourself away from your career enough to take it into consideration.” Shae says, and an awkward silence falls over them immediately. “Warner’s adorable, by the way. He has your smile.”

Even more awkward silence.

“Shae…” Nicole starts, but falters, not knowing what to say.

“It’s fine, Nicole. You grew up and changed since we were together. I did, too; it’s what people do. I’m happy for you, really.”

“Could’ve fooled me.” Nicole grumbles.

“I’m your ex-wife; I’m allowed to give you shit. It’s kind of my job, right?” Shae jokes, smiling softly at Nicole.

“Yeah, I guess.” Nicole replies, returning the smile.

“So, really, why are you here?” Shae asks, gently.

“I guess I just needed some validation. Things with Waverly aren't exactly going well…” Nicole trails off, trying to not think of their screaming match, “I just- you know me better than anyone. I’m not crazy, am I?”

Shae doesn’t answer immediately, which doesn’t exactly bolster Nicole’s confidence, but finally she sighs and replies, “Look, Nicole, you’re many things, but the woman I knew you to be was far from crazy. Whatever’s going on with you and Waverly, it isn’t you and me. If you really want to work things out, you’ve got to try. No more running away or making excuses.”

“I’m not running!” Nicole barks, defensive.

“Then why are you here?” Shae counters.

“I just needed to talk to someone outside of everything.” Nicole mumbles, fiddling with her ring.

“I’m your ex, Nicole; I’m hardly impartial.” Shae admits.

“Well, yeah, but that was a long time ago…” Nicole says, looking up at Shae now.

“It wasn’t that long ago, Nicole. And I-” Shae sighs, breaking their eye contact. 

“What?” Nicole asks, heart in her throat. She’s sure Shae is going to come out with some flaw of hers, something that points to the reason everything she ever wants falls apart.

“God, are you going to make me say it?” Shae huffs, looking at Nicole for the space of a few heartbeats.

Nicole doesn’t say anything, preparing to be destroyed in one swift movement.

“Okay, fine, I- I-” Shae gets up out of her seat and starts pacing the floor in front of Nicole.

“Shae…” Nicole trails off, her voice shaking.

And then the dam breaks.

Shae’s lips on hers are soft and familiar, and Nicole just lets herself sink into the kiss. Before she knows it, she’s being pushed back on the couch as Shae leans into her. Their kisses are frantic and desperate, and somewhere distantly, Nicole thinks that this is wrong. 

But then she remembers Waverly on a date with Jake, and she bites Shae’s lip as she undoes Nicole’s belt.

“Fuck, you’ve always looked so good in your little uniforms.” Shae breathes into Nicole’s mouth.

Nicole just smiles into their next kiss as Shae pulls them up off of the couch, stumbling back. Nicole follows her lead and gasps as Shae snakes her hand down to cup her crotch.

“Fuck!” Nicole breathes out.

“I’m on the pill; it’s okay.” Shae says, abating fears Nicole didn’t realize she had.

They keep kissing, neither of them moving farther into the house as Shae keeps rubbing Nicole through her uniform, but it’s not doing much. Nicole’s not sure she can actually go through with this, and it seems her body agrees- at least some part of her has some common sense.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Shae asks, brow furrowed.

“Nothing…” Nicole says before kissing Shae again, trying to focus on the feel of them pressed together.

It feels good, but not good enough.

“I- I’m sorry, I can’t…” Nicole pants her apology.

Shae’s laughter is bitter but unsurprised.

“I should have known… Maybe it’s for the best; I mean, what was I thinking?” Shae says as she pulls away from Nicole. “You’re married, and you have a baby. It’s not like you’re going to drop everything for me, and honestly, I don’t want you to. I outgrew you- or at least, I thought I did. I can’t play these mind games, Nicole. I think you should go.”

Nicole just stares at Shae, unsure of anything that’s happening anymore.

“Shae, I-”

“Just go, Nicole. Please.” Shae says, staring at Nicole with sad eyes.

“I’m sorry.” Nicole says, letting her apology hang between them for a while.

“Me too.” Shae finally agrees before Nicole takes her leave, heading back to Jamie’s house.

It’s weird, going back there and seeing Jamie doting over Colby, who is doting over Warner. At least things with Warner aren’t complicated.

“Look who it is, Warner; Mama’s home!” Jamie says, pointing at Nicole.

“Hey there, little man! Were you good for Aunt Jamie?” Nicole asks, avoiding the concerned look on her sister’s face in favor of paying her son all of the attention.

She needs this; she needs something to make sense right now. The way Warner looks at her with a huge grin on his face seems to be the only thing that hasn’t changed.

“Why do you look...disheveled?” Jamie asks, suspiciously.

“Wow, I’m surprised you know that word.” Nicole says in a baby tone as she looks at Warner, though clearly talking to her sister.

“Cut the crap, Nicole; did you go to see Waverly again?” Jamie says, cutting straight to the point.

“No.” Nicole replies, truthfully.

“Hey, Babe, can you take Warner for a sec?” Jamie asks Colby, who happily obliges.

“Jamie, why are you having your girlfriend take my son?” Nicole asks, though reluctantly hands him over.

“Because I don’t want to hit a woman holding a baby.” Jamie answers simply, grabbing a magazine from the coffee table and rolling it up before smacking Nicole on the top of the head.

“What the fuck was that for?!” Nicole asks, backing away from Jamie, who is still smacking her with the magazine.

“You. Have. Sex. Hair!” Jamie says, emphasizing her words with smacks from the magazine. “You lying slut!”

“I didn’t lie about anything!” Nicole says as she grabs the magazine mid-swing.

“Well then who did you fuck?!” Jamie yells, ripping the magazine from Nicole’s grip but holding it down at her side.

“No one!” Nicole argues.

Jamie eyes her suspiciously, not saying anything for a few seconds before her eyes go wide.

“Oh my god, Nicole! What the fuck?! Sleeping with  _ that _ ex-wife was not a part of the plan!” Jamie huffs, indignant.

“I didn’t sleep with her!”

“Um, what’s going on?” Colby asks, innocently from beside Jamie.

“Nothing!” Nicole says, but at the same time Jamie replies.

“Nicole slept with her first ex-wife Shae!”

“I did not!” Nicole argues, “We just made out!”

Jamie smacks Nicole in the face with the magazine at that admission, “You stupid, lying, slutty bitch! Why would you  _ do _ that?!”

“I don’t know!” Nicole admits, trying to get away from the barrage of attacks still coming at her. “It was nice to feel wanted!”

“Now you know how Waverly felt, you stupid slut!” Jamie argues.

“Babe, stop calling her a slut; it’s not progressive.” Colby pipes up, only to be glared at by both Nicole and Jamie.

“Why do I tell you anything?” Nicole grumbles, more to herself than Jamie.

“Because sometimes I’m your voice of reason!” Jamie says, adding at the look on Nicole’s face, “Yeah, sometimes you sink  _ that _ low!”

The gravity of the situation finally hits Nicole, and she groans, swiping her hand over her face, “What am I gonna do?”

“You’re gonna fix this mess and stay the fuck away from Shae for the rest of forever! Bitch be cray cray! Need I remind you, she tried to  _ guilt you _ into having a baby with her and I’m still not convinced she didn’t poke a hole in a condom or two!” Jamie says, exasperated.

Nicole just glares at her sister, not knowing what to say anymore.

“Okay, return the baby.” Jamie says, looking over at Colby, “I’m done hitting. Now we can start formulating our plan to fix this shitshow and get your wife back- your  _ current  _ wife.”

“How are  _ you _ supposed to help me fix this?” Nicole asks, suspicious as she takes Warner back.

“With finesse and grace, duh!” Jamie quips, “You need to woo her and show her exactly what she’s missing. So, first thing’s first: stop stalking Bigfoot.”

Nicole knows this is going to be a very long night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now do you see why this chapter took me so long?


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm alive!!!!  
> I know it's been a while and I don't really have an excuse but I did start writing my own romance novel and plan on selling it once it's finished, so that'll be fun. For now enjoy the chapter!

_“We could have it all_   
_Neither one of us would budge_   
_'Cause we can't be wrong, baby_   
_Folding up your arms, closing up your heart_   
_I know, I know, I know you think it's me, 'cause I want it all_   
_I know, I know, I know, I know you see, that we gotta talk_   
_No, you know, you know we must believe or fall apart”_

The song plays softly on the radio, fading in and out a bit as Waverly pulls into the parking lot of the steakhouse that they agreed upon. She takes a deep breath as she turns the engine off but doesn’t move to get out of the car. Not yet.

She needs a second to collect herself. Her therapy appointment earlier today was...a lot. Not only that, but the last time she was at this restaurant was with Nicole and things were...better between them. Waverly takes a deep breath in and tries to steady herself.

“Okay, it’s go time.” Waverly whispers to herself as she puts on a smile. She once read somewhere that the simple act of smiling alone can help a person’s mood, so she’s going to fake it til she makes it. Talking about her childhood today probably wasn’t the best thing to do before this meet up, but still, it all needed to be said. She knows therapy is helping, it’s just really fucking hard to get through sometimes.

She heads into the restaurant and is greeted by the hostess, who directs her to her table. Jake’s already waiting there, meeting her with a broad grin, which Waverly returns, as he stands up and hugs her.

“It’s so nice to see you.” Jake says before Waverly pulls back from the hug.

She can’t help noting how nice he smells.

“It’s good to see a friendly face.” Waverly says before taking her seat at the table.

“Oh, have things-” Jake starts, but gets cut off there.

“Eh, I don’t really wanna talk about it, if that’s okay?” Waverly asks, taking the menu and looking it over.

“Oh, yeah, yeah, of course.” Jake says before clearing his throat, “Well, um...I hear the food here is great, and since I’m paying, feel free to order anything you want.”

The waitress comes and takes their drink orders, and Waverly attempts conversation.

“So, how’s everything coming along with the house? Is everything still on schedule?” She asks.

“Yeah, absolutely. You’ll be able to move in in two weeks, if you still want to do that. Me and some of my guys will still be around during the day, but I promise, we won’t get in your way and it’ll be safe for your little guy, of course.” Jake replies enthusiastically as their drinks are set down in front of them.

Waverly takes a sip of her glass of wine before replying. “I’m glad to hear it. If anything comes up though, you’ll call?”

“Yeah, of course.” Jake smiles at her before continuing, “I really am glad we could do this tonight,” He says, grabbing her hand over the table.

Waverly looks at their hands for a second before pulling back, “Jake, when I agreed to dinner, I wasn’t...I didn’t mean-”

“Oh...I- I totally get it. I’m sorry, I just thought you knew- I thought we were on the same page and I guess I was wrong.”

“I’m sorry, I really am. I just want to work things out with my wife. Nicooooole-” Waverly elongates her wife’s name as she suddenly spots her through the window, ducking down in the driver seat of the police cruiser a little too late while seemingly talking to herself.

Waverly gets up from her seat immediately. “I’m sorry Jake, I really am. I just don’t want what you seem to want, and I don’t want to mislead you at all. I um, I’m sorry, I need to excuse myself.”  She hears Jake’s confused reply at her back as she leaves the building. She trudges out to the parking lot and knocks sharply on the driver’s side window.

She didn’t expect to have a screaming match with Nicole in the parking lot of a restaurant that they didn’t even come to together, but here they are, and all while they’re arguing, Waverly fights the urge to shut down completely--though where she ultimately left things was by no means an open invitation to her wife.

When all is said and done, she doesn’t even necessarily _want_ to go back inside, but she can’t just storm out on Jake without any sort of explanation at all.

“I didn’t think you were coming back.” Jake says, perking up as Waverly sits back down at the table.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure either.” At the look on Jake’s face, she adds, “I just had a huge argument with Nicole in the parking lot and I’m not exactly feeling too great now.”

“Oh, if you want to go home, I completely understand. Buuuut if you want to order the biggest damn steak on the menu while we talk about whatever you want, I’m still paying.” He says with a smile.

“Jake-” Waverly starts, saying his name with a tone that (hopefully) conveys how much she doesn’t want to lead him on.

“No, no, it’s fine, we’re just friends and I totally get that. Your marriage comes before any sort of crush I might have.” Jake says, holding up his hand to stop Waverly from arguing.

“If you’re sure…” Waverly trails off.

“Of course I am.”

“Alright then.” Waverly agrees, still unsure of her decision to stay, but enjoying the idea of ordering the largest ribeye on the menu.

Jake starts in on another topic of conversation, but Waverly is only barely listening.

“I’m sorry, could I just...vent? I just really need to and I understand if that’s not okay right now, but I could really use a friend.” Waverly breaks into Jake’s story.

“Oh um, yeah sure, whatever you want.”

“I just... how did she think literally _stalking me_ was a good idea?! And Warner was in the car too! He was blissfully unaware, of course, but my god, who brings a _baby_ when they’re stalking someone?! And don’t even get me started on how much she actually avoids spending time with him. Well, more she avoids spending time _alone_ with him. I swear, that was one of the reasons that she wanted me to quit my job-”

“Wait, she said that?” Jake asks, trying to follow Waverly’s rant but seeming lost.

“Well, no, but she didn’t have to! Everything she ever did was focused on avoiding spending alone time with Warner, as if it was my _job_ to be the one always taking care of him. She always got to play the good cop and yes, I realize the irony in that phrase but honestly, I don’t give a fuck. No one ever holds Nicole accountable for her actions and I was one of the worst offenders! She wanted this little picture perfect family where she was the only one providing, as if carrying Warner in my goddamn uterus for nine months means I have some sort of instruction manual for him. Newsflash, I fucking don’t, and parenting is _hard_. I don’t know what I’m doing, and I swear all of my clothes have spit-up or some mystery stain on them. I once went like a week without washing my hair because it was too much effort, and I keep falling asleep at like eight at night only to have Warner wake me up two hours later. And I’m just so _tired_ _all the time,_ even though things with Warner have gotten better, but Nicole just gets to avoid all of that?! She gets to just skip the heavy lifting and slide right in to be parent of the year because she just gives in to his demands and buys him everything under the sun.” Waverly huffs, still angry.

“Um...wow...that was a... lot…” Jake says, clearly uncomfortable.

“Oh, it doesn’t stop there!” Waverly says, starting up again, “I swear, her family hates me but they’re just too “nice” to say it out loud.” She even uses air quotes, “And it’s not like they don’t have their own share of severely fucked up history! But no, _I’m_ the one that’s not good enough for their _top shelf girl._ Her father has literally said that to her, I swear to God.”

In a moment of silence, their food is brought to the table, Waverly did indeed order the biggest steak on the menu along with a baked potato.

“Um, Waverly, do you maybe want to eat-” Jake tries to interject, but Waverly is having none of that.

In between bites of her food, she continues her ranting.

“I just can’t stand how she gets away with _everything_ ! She doesn’t take responsibility for her actions at all! Like when we hooked up and then she just _left?!_ But no, Nicole Gabrielle Haught can do no wrong!” Waverly yells, exasperated. “And she’s so immature, she can’t take anything seriously. Like when we went to the doctor to find out about Warner when I was pregnant, she couldn’t stop acting like a little kid! I mean, sure, it was cute and all, but that’s not the point! She can’t cook for shit, either! I swear, she would live off of takeout every day if it wasn’t for me. Pretty sure Jamie’s place is a hovel with empty Chinese containers everywhere...unless she just makes Jamie cook everything...how does her little sister know how to cook but _Nicole_ doesn’t? I swear, I chose the wrong Haught sister!”

She’s done eating now and Jake has been paying very close attention to his own plate- not that there’s much left to look at on his. When the waitress comes around, Waverly requests a box and the dessert menu.

“But then she’ll just apologize for everything and give me those big, beautiful puppy eyes and I stupidly melt _every time._ ” Waverly says as she boxes up about half of her steak and then looks over her options.

“Waverly, clearly you have so _many_ feelings about Nicole, but...you wouldn’t feel this way if you didn’t love her, and I think your biggest issue is that you’re telling _me_ all of this and not _her_.” Jake says, not ordering anything for dessert.

“I’m sorry about everything tonight. I never should have gone off like that. You didn’t deserve to have me dump all of my problems on you.” Waverly apologizes, realizing everything she’s done in the last hour.

“Hey, technically I asked for it, it’s alright. But I really do think you need to stop talking to everyone else about things and start talking to your wife if you really wanna fix things.” Jake says, earnestly.

“Yeah, I know you’re right. Thanks for listening.” Waverly says as she bites into the chocolate lava cake she ordered.

* * *

 

After dinner, Waverly drives home and plops down on the couch, Orie curling up in her lap and practically demanding to be pet. Waverly looks down at him and smiles.

“You’re at least one constant in my shitshow of a life.” Waverly says, petting him as he rolls over to expose his belly, which she scratches as she uses her free hand to fish her phone out of her pocket and unlock it. She stares at Nicole’s contact info and struggles with the decision to press the little green call button, and just before she can, she jumps as she gets a call from Wynonna.

“Hey, what’s up?” Waverly answers.

“Um, well, the babies are coming-” Doc says as Waverly hears Wynonna screaming in the background.

“Wait, right now?” Waverly asks, standing up and scrambling to collect herself. She can still hear Wynonna in the background but she can’t make out what her sister is saying, “Is she talking to me, or...?”

“Give me a minute.” Doc says, his voice falling away from the phone.

“If you don’t give me that phone right now, I swear to God I will rip it from your stupid zombie fingers myself!” Wynonna yells clear enough that Waverly can hear her.

“Wynonna?!” Waverly tries yelling, hoping her sister can hear her too.

“Yeah, I’m here.” Wynonna says after a bit of shuffling with the phone.

“Are you okay?” Waverly can’t help but ask.

“Oh, just peachy, sis! My baby daddies are a lizard and a zombie, we have no idea what is about to spring forth from my vagina, and it hurts like a MOTHERFUCKER!” Wynonna yells.

Waverly has to hold the phone away from her ear until Wynonna’s volume gets considerably lower.

“Whose stupid idea was it to do this without drugs?!” Wynonna asks no one in particular.

“Yours.” Waverly hears Dolls reply, as Wynonna apparently put the phone on speaker at some point.

There’s a crash and then Wynonna’s yelling again, “The next one will hit you if you keep saying stupid stuff while I’m literally giving birth over here! I mean, if you wanna take over, be my guest- oh wait, you CAN’T!”

“I’ll be right over, okay? Don’t murder anyone before I get there.” Waverly says as she heads out the front door.

On the drive over, Waverly realizes she’s wearing slippers and not real shoes. But they’re comfortable and they’ll protect her well enough on the walk up to the house. She makes record time getting there, and thankfully no one (especially Nicole) decided to pull her over. Instead, she pulls the jeep into the driveway and barely puts it in park before she heads inside to be greeted by a very frantic Doc and Dolls, and screaming from upstairs.

“She kicked us out and she’s been yelling for you for a while now.” Dolls says as he sees Waverly walk in.

She nods, “Alright, I’m going up.”

Waverly heads upstairs and finds Wynonna pacing around the bedroom with Willa following after her with her hand on Wynonna’s lower back.

“Waverly!” Both of her sisters say in unison.

“I didn’t expect to see you here.” Waverly says, turning her attention to Willa.

“Of course I’m here. My little sister is having _two_ babies.” Willa says, looking from Waverly to Wynonna.

“Plus, we’re not in a hospital, so she’s less freaked.” Wynonna adds before she stops pacing and screws her eyes shut, clearly in pain.

“Breathe through it.” Willa advises, rubbing Wynonna’s back.

“That was a small one.” Wynonna says after letting out a shaky breath.

“What do you want me to do?” Waverly asks, unsure of her role here, hoping that Wynonna isn’t expecting her to deliver the baby.

“Can you get me some ice and keep those two idiots I’m in love with out of here?” Wynonna asks.

“Yeah, of course.” Waverly says before leaving the room and being met with an anxious Doc and Dolls at the door.

“How is she?” Doc asks, concerned.

Dolls perks up beside him.

“She’s alright, as far as I can tell, but maybe you guys could wait downstairs? She was clear she didn’t want you in there.” Waverly says as she starts making her way downstairs with them. “Why is that, anyway?”

“Well, she figures since we don’t know who the biological father is, it’s fair to just keep us both out of the room. Plus there’s you, Willa, and the midwife is on the way over, so it might get a little crowded in there.” Dolls explains as they reach the landing.

“I guess that makes sense.” Waverly says as she makes her way to the kitchen grabs a cup  and fills it with some ice cubes out of the freezer. As she heads back, she looks at Doc and Dolls, who look like complete wrecks, and she can’t help but try to calm them down. “Wynonna’s always been a loud mouth. She’ll be fine, guys and soon you’ll get to meet your little girls!”

They smile at her and thank her, and she’s not really sure she’s helped at all, but at least she tried. She makes her way back upstairs and into the bedroom, where Wynonna snatches the cup of ice out of her hand and puts a piece of ice in her mouth, crunching down.

“Well hello to you, too.” Waverly quips, earning herself a death glare from Wynonna as she pointedly crunches down on another piece of ice.

“So where’s your midwife? Don’t tell me she’s running late.” Waverly says, now concerned that the person who is supposed to deliver her nieces is currently nowhere to be found.

Before Wynonna can reply, another contraction hits, which has her swearing up a storm.

“Wow, some of those were new even to me.” Waverly says, walking over to where Wynonna is standing and leading her back to the bed.

“Glad I can still teach you a thing or two.” Wynonna says as she tries to catch her breath.

“You know, if you didn’t live out in the middle of nowhere, I could have gotten here sooner. Though from the looks of things, the party hasn’t exactly started just yet.” Cody Riley says as he enters the room, dressed in baby pink scrubs.

“If I pay you more, will you stop complaining?” Wynonna asks, throwing a pillow at Cody.

“Mmm, no.”

“Good because I can’t pay you anymore than what you’re already charging me.” Wynonna shrugs in reply.

“Well, as thrilling as this is, why don’t we leave the banter for later and you scoot on to the bed there so I can see how dilated you are.” Cody says, motioning to Wynonna.

This is all happening with an unnerving ease, as if Cody Riley, Champ Hardy’s sidekick, is _supposed_ to be standing in this room in pink scrubs asking to put his hand-

“What the hell is going on?” Waverly blurts out despite herself as she stands up from the bed.

“I thought that was pretty clear.” Wynonna says, “I mean, unless _you_ want to put your hand up my vag.”

“I- no, of course not, but how is _Cody_ any better than Dr. Reynolds?” Waverly asks, catching herself and adding, “No offense.”

“I mean, I _could_ take offense right now, but I’m kind of busy.” Cody says, not looking away from Wynonna.

“Hey, I didn’t judge you when you had the Crypt Keeper up in your business, and I don’t really think _now_ is the time to jump on your high horse!” Wynonna argues.

“You’re right...You’re right, I’m sorry.” Waverly says, finally remembering herself as she paces near the bedroom door.

This isn’t about her comfort. As if her body takes the thought as some sort of cue, her stomach flips, not exactly settling fully. She tries to ignore it. The feeling will probably pass with time- it’s just a manifestation of her nerves, after all. Wynonna might have this all planned out, but Waverly can’t help but worry- especially being so far from town.

“Alright, well, seems like you’re about seven centimeters already, Mama.” Cody says, sitting up.

“If you call me that again, I _will_ castrate you.” Wynonna growls, “And I’ll send it all to Summer Bishop if I have to.”

“Wait, what?” Waverly asks, caught off guard not by the threat of castration, but by the mention of Summer.

“I don’t think she would really appreciate the erm...gesture.” Cody replies, ignoring Waverly.

“If you want to stay in one piece, remember the rules.” Wynonna warns before she’s cut off by a contraction.

“Things seem to be progressing quickly, so I’ll make sure to have everything ready for go time with these little girls of yours. If everything goes as planned, you could meet them before the night is through.” Cody says, removing his gloves and disposing of them.

“Earps _are_ known for fast births.” Willa pipes up from beside Wynonna.

“Yeah, can’t forget the story of Willa’s birth,” Wynonna says with a dry, pained laugh before she puts on her best rendition of their Daddy’s voice, “Willa was always so impatient. She didn’t even give us any real warning before she was a screaming little thing in the back of the Bronco.” She finishes, both of her sisters joining in on the retelling of the story they heard so many times before.

“What about you? Mama was always talking about how one minute, we were enjoying our trip to the zoo, and the next she sneezed and out you popped!” Willa counters, laughing.

Waverly feels a little left out, knowing she doesn’t exactly have a fun, wacky story for her birth. It was always how Wynonna remembers them bringing her home from the hospital and how her sister was the one to name her. There is no frothy happy moments to recall. Just a lot of resentment.

“And Waverly just kind of appeared one day. I swear, we didn’t even know Mama was pregnant.” Willa continues, looking at Waverly.

“Yeah, but once she was there, Mama couldn’t stop doting on her.” Wynonna says taking Waverly’s hand, “You were her little angel.”

Waverly can’t help but smile at her big sister, but the moment doesn’t last long as Wynonna’s face contorts in pain and her grip tightens as a contraction hits her again.

“Good job, you did so well, Wynonna.” Cody says, his voice soft and encouraging.

“Go fuck yourself with a cactus, Riley!” Wynonna growls out.

* * *

 

A few hours have passed now with little progress, and Wynonna has gotten more and more restless and frustrated, yelling out strings of curses that don’t exactly make sense, but would have a sailor blushing. According to Cody, this is normal, to have things speed up, only to reach a plateau. Though they have at least gotten to the point of Wynonna pushing, things have still stalled out.

“I can’t do this. Just cut me open and rip them out. Please!” Wynonna pleads, her voice cracking as she continues her argument, squeezing Willa’s hand.

“Shh, you’re doing so good, Wynonna.” Willa says, running her fingers through Wynonna’s sweat-matted hair.

“No, I’m not! I’ve been pushing forever and they’re not even here. I’ve already failed them. I’m not good at this! I can’t- I can’t!” Wynonna breaks off, sobbing.

Waverly rushes to Wynonna’s side, grabbing her other hand. “Wynonna, look at me.”

Wynonna shakes her head, eyes screwed shut as she turns her head in Willa’s direction.

“Look at me, Wynonna!” Waverly yells, Wynonna’s eyes opening and head snapping to attention- good to know the Mommy voice can even work on her sisters. “You can do this!” Before Wynonna can voice her argument, Waverly continues, “No, shut up, I don’t want to hear it! You’re not weak, you’re not broken, you’re a mom, and you know what moms do? We take care of our babies, so you’ve got to push. You’re the only one who _can_ do this, Wynonna.”

“Okay, we’ve got someone crowning!” Cody yells out.

“See? You can do this.” Waverly says, her own voice cracking due to the overwhelming swell of emotions in the room. She rests her forehead against Wynonna’s while Wynonna continues to push, “You can do this, Wynonna.” She repeats herself, her voice a mere whisper.

“Do either of you want to see your niece?” Cody asks, “She’s got a beautiful head of hair here, can you feel it Wynonna?” Cody asks, taking Wynonna’s hand down between her legs, “This is real, now all you’ve got to do is push!”

Wynonna screams as she pushes yet again.

Waverly can’t help but feel a bit brave herself and decides to take Cody up on his offer. Besides, she knows Wynonna isn’t alone with Willa at her other side. Waverly walks down to the end of the bed and sees her niece’s head.

She wasn’t exactly prepared for the graphic details of birth- and she’s been through it before. Her stomach rolls and she quickly leaves the room, running down the hallway to the bathroom. She makes it just in time to retch into the toilet, immediately regretting the big meal she had before all of this. When she’s finally finished, she flushes the toilet and then sits there for a few more minutes, trying to make sure her stomach has actually settled.

She’s never actually bore witness to birth from that end, and she’s sure now that she doesn’t want to ever again. But she has her little nieces to meet and that requires her to pick herself up from the bathroom floor and get her shit together.

After washing her mouth out with water and then some mouthwash, she heads back into the bedroom, only to be met with the wailing of an infant- the best thing she’s heard all day.

She walks over to Wynonna, who’s holding the baby in her arms. The first thing she notices is that her niece’s skin is darker than her mother’s- a soft brown, mostly noticeable against Wynonna’s own pale skin.

“I guess that answers that question.” Waverly blurts out.

“I never knew I could love someone this much, Waves.” Wynonna says, looking up at Waverly with tears on her cheeks, “Meet your niece, Lyla Jett Earp.”

“Okay, Wynonna, we’re not out of the woods yet, we’ve still got Baby B to deliver, you ready?” Cody asks.

Before Waverly can even process everything, she’s being handed Lyla and finally gets a real look at the little girl. She does have a wild head of hair on her, along with big, beautiful dark eyes and dimples for days.

“Welcome to the world, little girl. We’re gonna make sure you like it here.” Waverly says as Lyla squirms in her arms before letting out a big yawn.

Before Waverly can even get her bearings, there’s another screaming little girl in the room, just as to be expected of Wynonna’s daughters.

“She’s so pale!” Willa says instantly, despite herself.

“She should be,” Wynonna says, taking her other daughter and cradling her against her chest, “She’s Doc’s.”

Waverly doesn’t even question that admission, handing Lyla back to Wynonna. Watching her sister with her daughters is completely overwhelming in the best possible way.

“Lyla, this is your sister, Tallulah Cherie Earp, but I guess you guys already know each other.” Wynonna says, as Lyla reaches out for her sister and grips on when she gets Lulu’s wrist.

Waverly can’t pull herself away from the scene unfolding before her. She just stands there, completely dumbfounded by how much she loves these little girls and watching just how much Wynonna loves her daughters.

“But how is she Doc’s and Lyla is obviously Xavier’s?” Willa asks, confused.

“You don’t want the answer to that, trust me.” Wynonna says, not tearing her eyes away from Lyla and Tallulah.

“Heteropaternal superfecundation.” Cody pipes up.

“What? Waverly and Willa ask at the same time.

“Super-fuckin’-what?” Wynonna asks, a second after, her question hanging in the air.

Cody repeats himself and then adds, “It’s when twins have different fathers. It’s not common at all, but it does happen, as evidenced by Lyla and Tallulah here.”

“Well…” Wynonna trails off, looking back at her little girls, “This is fucking _awesome_ ! Go get their Daddies, they need to see this _right now_!”

Waverly rushes down and collects Doc and Dolls, who hurriedly follow behind her, almost tripping over themselves to rush into the room.

The two men stare down at the babies and both of them are crying as they pick up their daughters, Doc holding Lyla and Dolls holding Tallulah.

“She’s got your eyes.” Doc says to Dolls, his voice cracking as he grins before pulling Dolls in for a kiss.

* * *

 

Two weeks later, Waverly surveys her work of packing up the house. She stands there amidst the boxes, the house looking strange all boxed up- at least the living room. The more important stuff has already been brought over to the new house over the week. This is just to get the larger things moved over while she has the opportunity.

She hasn’t worked up the nerve to clean out Nicole’s side of the closet. Not that there’s much left, but there are a few stragglers here and there, a few shirts; one from her academy days. Waverly will never admit it aloud, but on the really hard mornings, she takes that shirt out and smells it. Her heart sinks just a little bit every morning with the fear that it will stop smelling like her wife soon.

Waverly looks over at Warner, who is happily occupied with Orie, crawling after him and grunting and cooing while he does so.

“What are you doin’ over there, little man?” Waverly asks, walking over.

Warner squeals when he sees her.

“You love your puppy, don’t you Baby Boy?” Waverly asks, picking up and cuddling him, but it doesn’t last long as Warner squirms to get out of her arms, “Okay, okay, I’ll put you down. You’re a busy man, after all.”

She sets Warner down near Orie, only to have the pair crawl towards the coffee table, Warner picking himself up on the edge and bouncing in place as he stands there for a few seconds before falling down hard on his butt. It takes a few seconds for the shock to set in, but once it does, Warner’s crying up a storm, one even Orie kisses can’t quell, though the pup tries his best. Waverly goes and picks Warner up again, rubbing his back and calming him, thankfully quickly.

“You’re fine, Warner, you’re fine.” Waverly coos, setting her son down on the couch and playing Gilmore Girls for him.

As Waverly straightens up, she tries to steady herself on the arm of the couch, suddenly feeling light-headed. “Whoo, okay, guess Mommy’s still not feeling too great. I swear, if you gave me the flu…” She grumbles half-hearted, thankful the moment is passing as fast as it came on.

With Warner preoccupied with the show and safely sitting with his boppy around his waist, Waverly goes into the bathroom. Her eyes dart to the medicine cabinet. Her purchase from the previous week is still sitting behind the glass of the mirror, mocking her, even if she can’t see it.

“Okay, okay, I can do this. It’s no big deal, really. I saw the condom. This is just to get everyone off my case….but who’s everyone Waverly? Who’s everyone?” Waverly mumbles to herself as she grabs the box and stuffs it into her jacket pocket.

“Time to get things goin’, Warner. You ready to move into the new house?!” Waverly asks, voice upbeat as she turns the TV off.

Warner immediately screeches when Lorelei Gilmore’s face is replaced with a black screen.

“You can watch TV later. We’ve gotta get going,” Waverly says, only to be met with defiance.

Warner babbles animatedly at Waverly, clearly angry with her.

“I don’t wanna hear it, Mister.” Waverly says, scooping Warner up, only to be met with a full-on tantrum in her ear.

The movers are just waiting on the go ahead from Waverly before they start packing up the boxes into the truck, and she’s grateful Nicole let her take the truck for this, given that the only other option would have been Wynonna’s old clunker. And they all know that’s not exactly baby safe. Waverly straps Warner in and gets Orie into his crate before finally letting the movers do their thing. They follow behind on the way to the new house. Waverly doesn’t really want them there longer than they need to be, so if something needs moving after the fact, she can do it herself or rope her brothers-in-law (practically anyway) into helping her. She knows they would love an excuse to get out of the house for a little while, even if it only meant walking next door.

Finally, Waverly settles Warner down, sitting on the bare mattress in what will eventually be the master bedroom. Waverly sits there looking at Warner as he plays with his toys, slobbering on his rattle. She hasn’t forgotten what she’s carrying around in her pocket, but for a little while longer, she just wants to live in this moment, where things are...easier.

“What are we gonna make you for Halloween, Warner? What about a dinosaur?” Waverly asks, running her hand through Warner’s hair, “Hm? What if Mama was Claire? I mean, I could see it, though I think your Aunt Hayley could beat Mama out for the part. What do you think? Mommy could be Laura Dern.” Waverly muses, listening to Warner babble in reply.

She puts Warner down for his nap, thankfully he doesn’t fight too much. It takes Orie curled up next to him and his favorite blankie, but once he’s out, he’s out like a light.

Finally, Waverly has no other excuse or distraction and heads to the bathroom. The bare walls of the house feel like a new life all in themselves as she hears nothing but unsettling silence. She stands there, having done what she needed to do. Somehow two minutes seem to drag on and on, and she can’t stop checking her phone.

Just as the timer goes off, the doorbell does too. Waverly doesn’t have time to look at the result before she heads to the door, not wanting Warner to wake up from his nap too soon. She answers the door, only to be met with flowers in her face.

“Oh, sorry, I um, thought a house-warming present was in order.” Nicole says, awkwardly standing on their front porch with a purple bouquet.

“Oh! Thank you. Um, here’re the keys to the truck, thanks for letting me use it today.” Waverly says, handing them over..

“Thanks.” Nicole says, handing Waverly the orchids in return.

“I just put Warner down for his nap, so…” Waverly says, not exactly sure if Nicole is here for her or their son.

“That’s okay, I actually wanted to talk to you, if that’s alright with you?” Nicole asks, bunching her hands in her jacket pocket and looking much younger than she is.

“Yeah, sure. I would ask if you wanted to come inside and take a seat, but there isn’t really much in here to sit on.” Waverly jokes, laughing a little, even though it’s the truth.

“I’m fine out here. Besides, I’m not sure if you’re going to want me to stay much longer after this.” Nicole admits, making Waverly’s stomach twist.

“Nicole…” Waverly starts, though she doesn’t really know where to go after Nicole’s name, expecting the worst is about to happen.

“Look, Waverly, I know we’ve...had our differences and we both fucked up.” Nicole starts.

“What do you mean?”

“Dr. Pressman is Shae, my ex wife.” Nicole admits, “And I know you’ll probably hate me for this, but she and I...we almost slept together a few weeks ago. But I couldn’t go through with it because all I could think about was you, our family, and how much I want this back. It was a one time thing and I know I fucked up. I’m so sorry, Waverly.”

Waverly just laughs, surprising herself with her own reaction considering she physically feels like she’s been punched in the gut.

Nicole looks visibly uncomfortable.

“Looks like I need to find Warner a new pediatrician.” Waverly blurts out, still laughing.

“Aren’t you mad?” Nicole asks, confused.

“Oh, I’m livid,” Waverly admits. “But I guess this puts us on equal ground. At least you can’t sit up on your high horse anymore.”

“I deserved that,” Nicole admits, wincing.

“You _deserve_ a swift kick in the ass, but for now, I don’t have the energy to fight with you. Guess it’s your lucky day. Is that all you came here to say, or is there more?” Waverly asks, hoping her words don’t sound too hostile, she is genuinely curious about what Nicole might have to say.

“I love you, Waverly. I love you with everything I am. I can’t stand being away from you like this. I know things can’t just go back to how they were. I know we need to work on ourselves, on our marriage, on everything. But I’m willing to put in the work, if you are. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to get you back, to get our life together back. I know I fucked up, I _know_ I did, and nothing I can say can take back the things I did or didn’t do when it came to you. I wasn’t letting you have the life you deserve and I can’t apologize enough for that. I never wanted to stifle you, Baby. You’re the most amazing woman I have ever met and you’re going to do great things. You’re going to fix this fucked up world we live in and I would be honored if you let me just be behind you, cheering you on the whole way.”

Waverly stands there, eyes welling up with tears. This is all she has ever wanted to hear and it’s actually happening.

“You’re an idiot, Nicole Gabrielle Haught.” Waverly says, grinning.

“That...was _not_ the reaction I was expecting.” Nicole says, looking adorably confused.

“If you were to come back, I wouldn’t want you behind me. I want you right by my side,” Waverly admits.”That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” All the sweet words in the world can’t hold off reality forever and Waverly is suddenly hit with it all like a freight train.

“You don’t have to make any decisions right now, okay? Take some time, think it through. I’m not going anywhere. I’m never giving up on us unless you tell me to.” Nicole says before Waverly can say anything else.

“Nicole…” Waverly says her name again and then there is this one pure crystalizing moment between them, and Waverly pulls Nicole in by the collar of her jacket, kissing her. Kissing Nicole Haught has still not lost it’s appeal, no matter how mad at her Waverly might be. It’s only when Nicole starts to move forward, pushing Waverly back into the house, does she remember herself enough to pull back.

“We can’t- I- I can’t, Nicole. Not like this, not now.” Waverly says, regretting it immediately, but knowing she’s making the right call.

“Yeah, yeah, totally. I completely understand, I got ahead of myself. I just...I miss you, Waves. All of you. But I’ll be here when you’re ready. I promise, no more surprises, you can count on me.” Nicole says, giving Waverly a soft smile.

It takes all of Waverly’s strength not to call Nicole back when she heads to the cruiser, but she manages it. Instead she closes the front door and heads back to the bathroom, only to find the pregnancy test face down on the sink.

She grabs it and silently prays over and over for a negative result only to flip it over and be met with two little pink lines.

“Shit.”


End file.
